The Sindh Irrigation Department has been asked to prepare a brief for the members of the Sindh Cabinet and like-minded members of the Sindh Assembly before it resumes its session on January 19, it was learnt here on Tuesday.
The instructions were issued after the meeting of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad and Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Monday during which the three leaders took stock of the obtaining situation on water reservoirs and Kalabagh Dam.
Sources said that the prime minister had asked the Sindh leadership to develop material for study by the members of the Sindh Assembly without any difference between the treasury and the opposition members.
The officials have been asked to accommodate as many figures as possible from the technical committee reports of ANG Abbasi, all issues that Abbasi has discussed and contested and the reservations that are recorded in the report.
The paper should also include apprehensions/reservations of all the four provinces and its answers.
The sources said that all technical data, apprehensions of the people after the construction of proposed KBD have to be listed and answered. Each statement would be supported by data on water and downstream Kotri flow recorded by the Sindh Irrigation Department during the tenure of different governments.
It was also decided in the meeting that care should be taken by refraining from accusing any government of failure in taking a decision on reservoir issues. "It would be done at the right time by the right people," they said.
The sources said that the prime minister during his stay in Karachi and later visit to the interior of Sindh met political leaders having different views on water reservoirs, KBD and the Council of Common Interest (CCI).
They said that the formation of CCI had also added fuel to the fire and the opposition had found another issue to give explosive statement and oppose the KBD vehemently.
The material for the members being prepared would be placed for vetting before the chief minister and the governor. However, there exists difference of opinion between the governor and the chief minister on water reservoirs, priority for construction and KBD. "The MQM is likely to retreat its stand on KBD in the light of changing political scenario in Sindh," they added.
The sources said that PML-Q in Sindh has asked the prime minister to keep general feeling of the people in view and any hasty decision would be disastrous for the party. "People would go by the sentiments and emotions than by reasoning," they said.
The prime minister, the sources said, had no option than going fast and explaining to the people need of water reservoirs and he wanted his party men to follow him.
They said that aggressive campaigning in favour of KBD was likely to be taken after debate in the coming session of the Sindh Assembly concluded on favourable notes.
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