The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ishaq Dar, said on Monday that the Sindh water part would not be compromised due to the proposed project of six channels on the Indo River, as protests against the project continue in the province.
Speaking in the National Assembly, he reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to defend the provincial water rights.
“The Government is dealing with the issue of water distribution with transparency and attention,” he said, adding that the channel project, first proposed in July 2023, had been delayed at the request of Sindh to allow an exhaustive review.
“I urged my colleagues not to make any decision without a complete consultation. We are partners, not dictators,” said Dar, confirming that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) had not approved the project and that the consent of the interested parties was still pending.
When addressing political criticism, it rejected the accusations of water theft. “The accusations that Punjab is stealing the Water from Sindh has no foundation,” he said, accusing certain political groups of exploiting the issue to gain relevance.
He revealed that at a recent meeting with Sindh’s prime minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah proposed an independent technical evaluation of the project to safeguard Sindh’s water rights. In addition, two new telemetry monitoring points are being installed to improve transparency, he said.
“We are not promoting this project forward for political reasons,” said Dar. “We are handling it with wisdom and balance.”
The DPM reaffirmed the accession to the 1991 water agreement, stating: “No province, including Punjab, will receive water for Sindh. There is no doubt: Sindh’s water part is safe.”
Asking for unity and cooperation, Giving urged leaders to avoid politicizing the problem. “Pakistan is a federation of four provinces, and our force resides in the unit. We must advance with justice and transparency.”
The leader of the Popular Party of Pakistan (PPP), Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, also addressed the session, emphasizing the urgency of solving water distribution disputes. “The PPP is totally committed to protecting the rights of all provinces,” he said.
PPP Mna Shazia Marri echoed these concerns, calling the water crisis a national problem that requires a serious dialogue in place of blaming the games.
MNA ejaz Jakhrani emphasized the constructive commitment between political parties, adding that the rights of equality for all provinces are essential for justice and national unity.
