Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has invited federal ministers, state ministers and MNAs from Sindh to a meeting on Kalabagh dam on Monday, and it is likely that some of them may skip it due to seething difference of opinion on the proposed project.
Party sources told Business Recorder on Saturday that the ministers and members of the National Assembly were engaged in mutual consultations, following the invitation from the Prime Minister Secretariat.
Sources said: "Two questions at present are being debated among Sindh legislators ie whether or not to turn up at the meeting and say no to a proposal on launching a pro-Kalabagh dam campaign and mould public opinion in their respective constituencies."
A minister told Business Recorder that even if it was decided to attend the meeting, they would decline to kick off any move for the project. "We endorse Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim's stance on the dam and will not side with the government on this issue," he added.
The Prime Minister's decision to convene the meeting was taken after ministers and MNAs from Sindh did not give a positive response to PML President Shujaat Hussain's similar invitation on Friday.
There was also an impression that none of the invitees had showed up at the dinner by the ruling party head at his residence.
"In fact, no one declined to be at the dinner, but since the Assembly session was prorogued earlier, they had proceeded for their home destinations," PML spokesman Tariq Azeem said.
The PML head had planned to have an audience with the legislators on Friday morning at breakfast, but had to proceed for a meeting with President Musharraf, he said.
The party president, therefore, has invited all legislators from Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan to PML Central Executive Committee meeting slated for Monday afternoon at the Central Secretariat, he said.
Azeem said that the meeting would chalk out a programme for a pro-dam initiative in all provinces. The PML chief would also shortly visit the federating units in this context.
He said that discussions and consultations were an on-going process and would continue, spearheaded by President Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Chaudhry Shujaat.
Azeem, who is state minister, 'regretted' that some elements wanted to oppose the government's bid to construct big reservoirs without any logic by spreading misinformation about the dam.
There are three federal ministers, Liaquat Ali Jatoi, Abdul Razzaq Taheem and Ghous Bakhsh Mehar, and two state ministers, Ali Nawaz Mehar and M Ali Malkani from Sindh.
Similarly, Arbab Zakaullah, Ayaz Shah, Haider Sameejo, Dr Ghulam Haider Sameejo, Javed Shah (parliamentary secretary), Qazi Abdul Qadoos Rajar and Khuda Bakhsh Nizamani are from the province.
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