PPP won't allow more canals on Indus River, says Sharjeel

Senior Sindh Minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Inam Memon has strongly opposed any canal projects on the Indus River, urging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to officially announce their cancellation on April 4.

Addressing a press conference, Sharjeel Memon reaffirmed the PPP’s firm stance against ‘controversial’ water projects, stating, “We will not allow any canals on the Indus River.”

He also took aim at critics, accusing some of acting under foreign influence, specifically India’s intelligence agency, RAW.

Memon emphasized that the PPP remains open to dialogue only with those who truly support Pakistan.

Earlier, Sindh’s Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that President Asif Ali Zardari didn’t approve any canal project in a meeting.

“President was told about briefing on irrigation and additional land cultivation but the wrong minutes of the meeting issued,” Sindh’s chief minister said in a press conference.

Referring to the meeting chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the meeting minutes were wrongly used to suggest presidential approval of the canal projects.

Murad Ali Shah said that in the pretext of the meeting chaired by the president, canals were approved.

Sindh’s chief minister said that a complete record of water shortage in Indus River has been available. “We have challenged the Indus River System Authority’s (IRSA) certification in the Council of Common Interest (CCI) as any canal project must first be discussed and approved by the CCI”.