Federal government cancels plan for new Indus River Canals

The important meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has concluded.

During the session, the federal government formally decided to withdraw the plan to extract canals from the Indus River.

The meeting was attended by key leadership from all provinces, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Ali Amin Gandapur stated that the distribution of water will now be carried out strictly according to the Water Record and the Water Accord.

Sources confirmed that the decision to cancel the canal projects was made unanimously. It was also agreed that in the future, full consensus among provinces would be mandatory before proceeding with any new canal-related project.

The meeting further decided to cancel the earlier approval granted by ECNEC (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council) on February 7, 2024, for new canal projects. The federal government has committed that no new canals will be constructed without provincial consensus.

To address provincial concerns, ensure food security, and promote environmental sustainability, a technical committee will be formed. This committee will include representatives from the federal government and all four provinces and will develop recommendations for water use based on the Water Accord and the National Water Policy.

Additionally, it was decided to withdraw the water availability certificate issued by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) on January 17, 2024.

The official statement issued after the meeting clarified that no new project would be launched by the federal government until mutual agreement is achieved among the provinces. These measures aim to address provincial concerns and ensure the fair and equitable use of the country’s water resources.

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