Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to reverse the controversial Cholistan canals project, maintaining that his party will support the public if it opposes the canals.
The Cholistan canals project aims to construct six canals on the Indus River to irrigate the Cholistan desert. Proponents claim it will utilize “excess” water to irrigate barren lands. However, the project has come under intense criticism from Sindh nationalist parties and the PPP, who argue the province already receives less than its due share of water.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, this is the demand of the people, not just ours … If we are to stay united as brothers, the project must be withdrawn,” Bhutto-Zardari told a public gathering marking at Gari Khuda Bakhsh marking the 46th death anniversary of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Earlier, addressing a joint session of Parliament, President Asif Ali Zardari had similarly cautioned the government against proceeding with the project.
In his address, Bhutto-Zardari maintained the PPP would not allow any “irresponsible decisions” on water distribution. He claimed the PPP has a long history of fighting for fair water distribution, recalling the party had previously blocked the construction of the Kalabagh Dam project.
Criticizing the government’s unilateral approach, the PPP leader said his party had already rejected the project in its Central Executive Committee meeting. “This project was opposed even in the joint parliamentary session by President Asif Ali Zardari,” he said, claiming the PPP had refused to join the government because of its disagreements over the canals project.
During his speech, Bhutto-Zardari also demanded authorities review the Indus River System Authority (IRSA)’s reports on water shortages, claiming these indicated water scarcity in both Sindh and Punjab. “I was the first to raise my voice against the canals project, and now they have just woken up,” he said, referring to other parties who have raised their voices against the canals.
“We rejected this project before, and we will continue to reject it,” he said, warning that people trying to divide the Indus River to create regional rifts would not succeed. “They want to break the Indus River to divide us, but we will not let that happen,” he said, noting nationalist groups had united against the project. “Fairness in water distribution is non-negotiable,” he added.
He said he had fought the case for fair water distribution at the global level and urged the international community to help protect the Indus River. Noting the water theft by India was consistently raised during his time as foreign minister, Bhutto-Zardari added: “India continues to steal our water, and I have taken on this challenge internationally.”