PML-N Leadership Urges Sana to Open Dialogue with PPP
Tensions surrounding the controversial canal projects are intensifying, with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) taking a firmer stance. In response, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have instructed party leaders to engage in talks with their coalition partner to address the rising concerns.
In a statement released on Saturday, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, confirmed that the PML-N leadership had directed its members to resolve the issue through discussions with the PPP.
Sanaullah emphasized that PML-N is fully committed to the fair and equitable distribution of water and resources among all provinces. He also pointed out the importance of the PPP, as a part of the federal government, taking a responsible approach while holding constitutional offices.
The adviser made it clear that PML-N holds the leadership of PPP in high regard and emphasized that no injustice could occur under the frameworks of the 1991 Water Accord and the 1992 IRSA Act, which govern inter-provincial water sharing.
Sanaullah clarified that water from one province cannot be diverted to another due to constitutional safeguards and laws in place to ensure a fair distribution. “The country has established mechanisms to guarantee this,” he asserted.
He warned against politicizing the water issue, urging that such matters should be addressed through discussions and not public disputes. “We believe the strength of the federation lies in the strength of its constituent units, and we intend to continue with this approach as we have in the past,” he added.
Reaffirming the PML-N’s commitment to constitutional values and democracy, Sanaullah stated that the party would never compromise on the rights of provinces and their citizens. He emphasized that dialogue and consultation were the only feasible solutions to all issues.
Sanaullah’s statement came a day after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari threatened to withdraw his party’s support from the federal government, describing it as “stubborn” and “tone-deaf.”
At a public rally in Hyderabad on Friday, Bilawal demanded the immediate cancellation of the controversial canal project. He warned that if the federal government did not heed PPP’s objections, the party would sever all ties and cease parliamentary support, leaving the government isolated.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah addressed the issue on Saturday, stating that the canal project would be shelved before the 2025-26 federal budget. Speaking to journalists in Sindh’s Saeedabad area, he declared that the project would be halted or shelved before the federal budget was finalized.
“Sindh’s people know that only PPP has the power to stop this project,” he said, noting that the project had been approved by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) during the caretaker government’s tenure.
Murad also reminded that former President Asif Ali Zardari had explicitly opposed the canals project in his speech to the joint session of parliament, claiming that all efforts to advance the project had failed. He further pointed out that the PPP’s public rally in Hyderabad on April 18 had drawn a larger crowd than its previous event at the same location.
Looking ahead, Murad announced that the PPP would hold a series of public rallies against the canals project, starting with one in Sukkur on April 25, followed by events in other key cities like Shaheed Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas, and Karachi.
