The Council of Common Interests (CCI) on Monday rejected the federal government’s proposal to construct new canals from the Indus River, overturning an earlier decision by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) made in February.
“No new canals will be constructed without mutual understanding and consensus among all provinces,” stated a release from the Prime Minister’s Office following the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The high-level meeting, convened early at the request of the Sindh government, was attended by the chief ministers of all four provinces, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Federal Minister Ameer Muqam, and other officials.
The CCI agreed to withdraw provisional approval for the project, and announced the formation of a federal-provincial committee to propose long-term agricultural and water management solutions in line with the 1991 Water Accord and the 2018 Water Policy.
“The government is committed to resolving all water-related disputes amicably, ensuring that the concerns of any province are addressed through due diligence,” the statement added.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur welcomed the move, saying, “It has been decided to resolve issues through mutual understanding.”
He confirmed that some of K-P’s demands, including the recognition of tobacco as a formal crop and the review of the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, would be added to the next CCI agenda.
The decision comes amid widespread protests across Sindh over the canals project. The plan to construct six canals at an estimated cost of Rs211.4 billion faced strong resistance from the Sindh government and nationalist groups, who warned that the move would deprive Sindh of its rightful share of water.
Sit-ins and blockades at key highways, now lasting over 10 days, have disrupted the movement of goods between Sindh and Punjab, causing shortages of petrol and food supplies. Stranded transporters reported increasing damage to vehicles as the protests continued without resolution.
Despite PM Shehbaz’s assurances to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari that no new canals would proceed without consensus, protests on the ground have intensified, highlighting deep-rooted distrust and regional tensions over water distribution.
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