KARACHI: Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro has said that both the people of Sindh and the PPP reject the disputed canal projects on the Indus River.
He called on the federal government to immediately convene a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and permanently bury the canal project.
He strongly responded to the press conference of Punjab’s Information Minister Uzma Bukhari, stating that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is not politicising the issue of canals. “The people of Sindh and PPP stand united in their stance: controversial canals are unacceptable. The people of Sindh are protesting against these disputed canal projects; does this protest look like politics to you,” he questioned.
In his statement, Jam Khan Shoro further added that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has sent a clear message to the federal government: if the decision is not reversed, PPP will stand with the people— not with Shahbaz Sharif— on this issue. “Uzma Bukhari lacks even the basic understanding of water-related matters,” he claimed, adding that instead of defending the controversial canals, PML-N should permanently scrap the project.
The Irrigation Minister emphasised that there is already a severe water shortage in Sindh not just for agriculture, but even for drinking purposes. “Fields are barren, farmers are distressed, and livestock are suffering from thirst. Therefore, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif must publicly reject the controversial canal projects,” he asserted.
Shoro warned that if the Prime Minister does not withdraw the controversial canal plans, the PPP will stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Sindh. “We are prepared to go to any extent to have this project cancelled. The entire irrigation system of Sindh depends on the Indus River, and currently, there is not even enough water for drinking, let alone for crops.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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