Sindh, Punjab CMs defend positions

The chief ministers of Punjab and Sindh both rushed to establish the position of their respective provinces on the water distribution controversy on Thursday – both saying that they will take up the issue with the prime minister.

Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif delivered an intense speech on the floor of the provincial assembly, stating that Punjab would not “give up a drop” of its water share.

He said also that the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah had assured him that the interests of Punjab would be safeguarded but, unfortunately, the promise has not been honoured.

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, meanwhile, presided over a meeting at the CM House, said that the acting Chairman of Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has violated the purview of the authority by ordering the release of water in the Chashma-Jhelum link canal.

The meeting discussed the scarcity of water in Sindh, with the province’s agriculture secretary informing the meeting that, due to acute shortage of irrigation water, the sowing of cotton and rice during current Kharif season (2010-11) has been affected in the province by 11 per cent to 23 per cent respectively as compared to corresponding period of previous year. The meeting also reviewed recent steps Irsa.

Over in his speech in the Punjab Assembly, Shahbaz Sharif said that Punjab not only meets the food requirements of the country but also earns foreign exchange through the export of various crops.

Water, said the chief minister, is the most essential element and without its availability neither could agriculture targets be achieved nor could food requirements could be met. He said that Punjab has always played the role of elder brother to other provinces but has not done so as a favour. Punjab, he said, is ready to make any sacrifice for other but no compromise will be made on the water issue.

He said that the spirit of unity, harmony and sacrifice which was displayed by the provinces in the agreement on the National Finance Commission Award should also be exhibited over the current water issue.

Shahbaz pinned the blame of the crisis on “a dictator”, who, he said, was responsible for the problems being faced by the country regarding the distribution of water because all norms of justice and law were violated in the formation of a purely technical institution like Irsa.

Claiming that he is the custodian of the rights of the people of Punjab, the chief minister said that he will protect their interests.

He said that he will meet the prime minister of Pakistan along with a committee of Punjab Assembly members to present the stance of the province over the issue of Chashma-Jhelum link canal.

He said that though the dictator who compromised over the waters of Pakistani rivers had died, the farmers of the country are still paying a heavy price for his decision.

Referring to the Water Accord of 1991, the chief minister said that the agreement reached with mutual understanding under the leadership of then prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is still the unanimous document regarding distribution of water among the provinces.

Punjab, he said, only wants its due share of water under the same agreement and has never made any claim over the share of any other province.

He said that the ‘large heartedness’ shown by Punjab over the National Finance Commission Award was aimed at giving the credit for the unanimous approval of this award to democracy.

He said that the solidarity shown by the chief ministers of the four provinces at Minar-e-Pakistan is a golden chapter of the history of the country and hoped that the same spirit will be shown over the water issue as well. The country, he said, cannot afford any tragedy and the differences between provinces should be resolved amicably.

He said that protection of the rights of farmers of Punjab is the responsibility of the government and it will spare no effort in discharging its obligations in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2010.