Participants at "All Pakistan Water Conference" observed that illegal, unwise, and anti-people plans of the federal government and Wapda regarding common waters and Indus River System are posing grave threat to the integrity and solidarity of the federation of Pakistan.
The conference was organised by Anti-Thal Canal and Anti-Kalabagh Dam committee here on Sunday in which representatives of PPP, PML-N, Awami National Party, Awami Tehreek, Sindh National Front, Sindh Tarraqi Pasand Party, Chamber of Agriculture, Sindh Water Committee, Jamaat Islami, JUI, Saraikistan Qaumi Movement, Saraiki National Party, Jamhoori Wattan Party and Khaksar Tahreek participated.
Qaim Ali Shah, Nisar Khuhro, Shah Mohammed Shah, Qamar Rajpar, Asfandyar Wali, Rasool Bux Paleejo, Qadir Magsi, Gul Mohammed Jakhrani, Nazir Memon, Hamid Asghar Shaheen, MA Bhutta, Dr Nazir Shaikh, Siddiqul Farooq and others delivered their speeches on the occasion.
Qaim Ali Shah, convenor of the committee said, "Three smaller provinces have passed resolution against the building of Greater Thal Canal and Kalabagh Dam unanimously but the government has failed to pay heed over the cry and this approach may deepen differences further between the federal units."
In the unanimous declaration they said, the constitution of Pakistan accords special mention and enunciates provinces right over the water resources. International law about common waters flowing through riparian provinces or states is also well developed, spelling out clearly that no plan can be legally implemented if it injuriously affects the interest of any riparian.
Against the constitution, international law and justice in spite of the enormous opposition of the people of Sindh and their resolutions of the assembly, the government of General Pervez Musharraf initiated the illegal, unconstitutional and immoral Greater Thal canal Project that was designed to irrigate two million acres of Thal desert at the cost of equal, or more fertile lands of Sindh, they said.
They said that the project had the evil capacity of greatly harming the agriculture economy of Sindh and of turning the fertile districts of Mardan and Swabi into water logged marshlands in NWFP.
The people of Sindh, Pakhtoonkhwa and Balochistan had totally rejected Kalabagh dam and their elected assemblies had unanimously passed resolutions many times against it.
All the parties leaders warned the government to stop work at the Greater Thal Canal immediately and no dam should be planned on Indus River and its tributaries till all riparian peoples and provinces agree to such plans.
The speakers also warned international financial institutions and donor agencies that the people of provinces of Pakistan will well within their right to refuse to repay such loans as were obtained by the government for all water related projects that did not have the sanction of the people of the provinces.
Speakers slammed government's policies and warned rulers that if they continued isolating political parties and building anti-people projects it would affect unity of the federation.
PPP leader Nisar Khuhro said, we would take the water case to the international forums to develop pressure on present rulers to withdraw certain anti-people projects.
All federal units have taken part in the creation of Pakistan and now on this juncture unity of these units can make it stable and if rulers denied rights of smaller provinces they will take any decision for their future as situation has become worsened and it definitely can damage the sovereignty.