Dispute over CJ-LC persists: Sindh sees 'some people' influencing Prime Minister-brokered meeting's decisions

The endeavours of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to resolve an 'agitating' dispute between Sindh and Punjab over the functionality of Chashma-Jehlum Link Canal (CJ-LC) appeared to have gone in vain, as Sindh province is still seeing 'some people' influencing the decisions taken in the premier-brokered Tuesday's meeting.
"Now it seems to have become a sensitive political issue," Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah told a crowded press conference at Chief Minister House on Wednesday. According to chief minister, the agriculture in Sindh's right bank districts like Thatta, Badin, Tharparkar etc, particularly the exportable crop of Irri-6 rice, were facing an acute shortage of irrigation water. "If the rice crop was not watered for further 15 days it would be affected adversely," he added.
Demanding compensation for 10,000 cusecs of water shortfall created by the brief but 'unlawful' opening of CJ-LC, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah expressed concern over certain developments while addressing a crowded press conference at Chief Minister House.
Raising eyebrows over the summoning of Irsa's meeting so urgently, within a short span of 24 hours, Qaim said 'some people' were pressurising the members of Indus River System Authority (Irsa) to influence their opinion in favour of Punjab province.
Qaim, however, told a questioner that Sindh would determine its 'reaction' if Irsa decided in favour of CJ-LC that, he said, required 20,000 cusecs water at minimum and was not mentioned in the 1991 Accord. The chief minister also called upon the prime minister to take to task those who wanted to frustrate the present reconciliation-driven congenial atmosphere through 'interfering' in decisions of the meeting convened by him on Tuesday to mediate between the two provinces.
About Tuesday's meeting in Islamabad, he said the meeting had reiterated implementation of the 1991 Water Accord in letter and spirit by all concerned. Also the meeting had resolved to let Irsa work independently without any political influence. "We agreed that nobody would interfere in Irsa's work," he said.
But still, the chief minister complained, there were some who had deplorably adopted a pressurising attitude. According to chief minister, all sides had conceded that Punjab's representative in Irsa, Shafqat Mehmood, had acted beyond his legal domain through taking an out-of-turn charge of the Authority.
Blasting Mehmood for issuing 'defamatory' remarks against Sindh's irrigation minister, the chief minister demanded of his counterpart from Punjab to take action against him in line with his conceder before and after Tuesday's meeting. The Sindh chief executive was also critical of Irsa and Punjab government for violating 1991 Water Accord in terms of equitable distribution of water among the provinces in times of a shortfall.
He said his province was facing a shortfall of over 30 percent irrigation water with tail-enders at the right bank being the worst hit. Vowing to protest with the Prime Minister over such dubious state of affairs, the chief minister termed as 'inappropriate' Wednesday's statement of PPP's parliamentary leader in Punjab Assembly, Raja Riaz saying Sindh government would kow-tow Irsa's decision in favour of CJ-LC.