'All concerns will be addressed', Sanaullah assures Memon in second call over canals project

• Sanaullah assures no province will be deprived of its rightful share.
• Adviser says issue of water distribution administrative, technical.
• Sindh demands fair water distribution under the 1991 Water Accord.

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Monday assured Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon that all concerns regarding the contentious canals project would be addressed.

The assurance came during a second telephonic conversation, wherein both leaders agreed to continue consultations and move forward on resolving the matter amicably.

The Centre extended the offer of dialogue two days after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari warned that his party would part ways with the ruling coalition led by the PML-N, if the federal government failed to address its reservations over the controversial canals project.

The controversial canals project has become a bone of contention between the two major political parties, which are allies in the Centre.

The issue concerns the federal government’s plan to divert water from the Indus River by constructing six canals to irrigate the Cholistan desert — a project opposed by its key ally, the PPP, and several nationalist parties in the province.

According to government sources, the estimated cost of the Cholistan canal system is Rs211.4 billion, and through the project, thousands of acres of barren land can be used for agricultural purposes, and 400,000 acres of land can be brought under cultivation.

Almost all political and religious parties, nationalist groups and civil society organisations staged widespread rallies across Sindh against the controversial plan.

During today's call, Sanaullah said that all issues would be addressed through mutual understanding and dialogue.

He reiterated that under the Water Apportionment Accord, no province's water can be transferred to another province. "The issue of water distribution is administrative and technical in nature and will be resolved on the same grounds," he said.

The adviser assured that no province would be deprived of its rightful share and that all reservations would be addressed through an expanded consultative process.

In their first telephonic contact on April 20, Memon conveyed Sindh’s strong reservations regarding the controversial canals, stressing that the PPP and people of Sindh demand fair water distribution under the 1991 Water Accord.

He reiterated the province’s willingness to engage in talks with the federal government.

Sanaullah, on his part, emphasised dialogue over politics, calling for the matter to be resolved through consultation. He assured that the federal government respects the PPP's role in the federation and that no province's water can be diverted to another.

'PM should announce cancellation of project'

Separately, Memon — while speaking on Geo News programme 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath' — asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to officially announce the cancellation of the six canals project, stating that it would help dispel public concerns.

He noted that once the apprehensions are addressed, the people will stop agitating, and the ongoing protests will end.

Memon stressed that if there is no new water source, any new canal would inevitably divert water already allocated to existing users. “They [the government] must clarify from where in Punjab water will be diverted for these canals,” he added.

He further said that Sindh is already receiving less water than its rightful share and questioned how new canals could be constructed under these circumstances. “If Sindh is not being given its due share, admit there is a water shortage,” he added.

He also noted that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had written several letters to the federal government, urging it to convene a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to address the issue.

Meanwhile, Sanaullah said that cancelling the project might give a misleading impression that wrongdoing had occurred. “It would appear as if we were trying to hide something and were forced to withdraw under pressure,” he said.

He rejected any perception that the federal government intended to deprive Sindh of its water share. “There can never be any such plan to turn Sindh barren,” he said.

Sanaullah also clarified that the meeting in which the alleged approval was given was merely a consultative session. “It was not a formal approval by the President,” he added.

He reiterated that progress on the canal project is expected once the prime minister returns from Turkiye.