Sindh rejects Irsa’s water certificate, Calls It a ‘Bundle of Lies’

KARACHI: The Sindh government has sent another letter to the federal government regarding the controversial canal project from the Indus River.

The Sindh government has urged the federal government to convene an immediate session of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) in its letter.

“The issue of the certification of the Cholistan canal project by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) will be raised in the CCI session, so as to cancel the illegal step of the Irsa,” letter read.

The Sindh government has declared Irsa’s water availability certificate a “bundle of lies,” stating that the river authority failed to provide Sindh its rightful share of water under the 1991 accord.

“The issue of the canal certification should be discussed in the CCI session,” provincial government demanded in its letter.

The Pakistan People’s Party earlier decided to escalate the canal issue to President Asif Zardari, urging him to address it with the federal government.

According to party sources, President Zardari will discuss the construction of six new canals on the Indus River with the federal government after Eid ul Fitr.

The president will discuss the issue with the prime minister and urge him to convene a session of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) to address the matter.

Yesterday, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah stated that President Asif Ali Zardari did not approve any canal project during the meeting.

“President was told about briefing on irrigation and additional land cultivation, but the wrong minutes of the meeting were issued,” Sindh’s chief minister said in a press conference yesterday.

Murad Ali Shah clarified that officials misused the meeting minutes chaired by President Zardari to suggest his approval of the canal projects.

He emphasized that Sindh’s representative had formally recorded the province’s objection when ECNEC discussed the construction of six canals without specifically mentioning Cholistan.