Canals issue resolved, unblock roads: CM

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah called for the anti-canals protesters to unblock the roads they have obstructed, as the cancellation of the canal project was announced.

Shah called the cancellation a "victory for the federation, democracy, and the people of Sindh." While a rally is planned in Sukkur to celebrate the cancellation, Shah warned protesters against divisive politics during heightened tensions with India.

Following a meeting with federal ministers and legal officials, Sindh successfully argued the canal project's infeasibility, after which Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, publicly announced its cancellation in a joint press conference. A Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting, scheduled for May 2, will formally ratify the cancellation.

Shah revealed that the Punjab caretaker government asked IRSA for a water availability certificate, which was granted despite Sindh's objections, the PPP then challenged the certificate, as allowed under CCI rules. He asserted that had the CCI backed the project, it would have gone to Parliament. He also claimed that out of eight members, seven are assigned to scrap the canal project in the CCI, and that demanding notification for canals cancellation is misleading people.

Further, referring to a meeting chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari, the CM clarified that only the interior minister attended from the federal government, with no participation from IRSA or the Ministry of Water & Power. He stressed that the president cannot approve development projects, and despite an initial tweet suggesting approval, the canal process stalled after Sindh challenged it.

Shah also alleged that "those pushing the canal project want the PPP out of power to move it forward" and noted that there are two groups of anti-canal protesters; those genuinely opposed to the project as it goes against provincial interests, and those attempting to use the situation for political gain by infringing on the PPP's public mandate, thereby blocking roads and impeding daily activities.

Addressing concerns from JUI-F and the legal community, Shah clarified that the prime minister cannot unilaterally withdraw items from the CCI, as such decisions require a vote. With a majority held by PPP and PML-N, the canal projects will be referred back to IRSA as committed by the prime minister in a meeting with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Furthermore, Shah noted that the 1991 Water Accord was signed when PPP was not in power and criticised the PTI-led government's 2021 approval of the Chobara Project, which the Sindh government successfully opposed. In regards to the Greater Thal Canal, Shah claimed that its extension has been halted and challenged, reaffirming PPP's commitment to Sindh's water rights, stating that the CCI is the only lawful platform for such decisions.

Meanwhile, the CM strongly criticised India's announcement to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, deeming it a political stunt without legal basis as "India cannot unilaterally withdraw from the treaty, it is written in the agreement." Shah condemned India's aggressive stance, and noted that Pakistan's National Security Committee (NSC) affirmed Pakistan's capability to respond decisively to Indian aggression; the NSC decided to expel the Indian army attaché from Pakistan, close the border, and block airways for Indian airlines.

CM Shah declared that the PPP, with the people of Pakistan, stands united in support of the NSC's decisions, and stated that "if any harm comes to this country, the Pakistan Peoples Party will stand shoulder to shoulder with the supreme commander of our armed forces, the president of Pakistan, our federal government, and our armed forces."