Bilawal to Address Sindh’s Concerns in PM Meeting Amid Canal Crisis

Bilawal to Address Sindh’s Concerns in PM Meeting Amid Canal Crisis

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to meet with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari later today (Thursday) amid rising tensions over the federal government’s controversial proposal to build six new canals along the Indus River.

According to sources, Bilawal and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah are traveling to Islamabad for talks with the prime minister. The PPP delegation is expected to express Sindh’s growing concerns about the canal projects, which have sparked widespread protests and criticism across the province.

Sources suggest that the meeting could lead to positive developments, especially after weeks of protests and intense parliamentary debates on the issue.

The political environment surrounding the meeting has been marked by public unrest and street protests. On Tuesday, the Senate saw heated exchanges as PPP senators staged a walkout, while PTI members clashed with both PML-N and PPP over competing resolutions on the canal plan.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar tried to ease tensions by assuring that any decision regarding the project would be made constitutionally and in consultation with the Sindh government.

Rana Sanaullah, the special assistant to the PM on political affairs, has been tasked with initiating direct discussions with Sindh’s political leadership, ensuring that no decisions would be forced upon the province, and proposing multi-party consultations on the issue.

The ongoing protests in cities like Sukkur, Nawabshah, and Daharki have disrupted transportation and trade, with local parties and civil society groups expressing strong opposition. CM Murad Ali Shah recently reaffirmed the PPP’s position, stating that while the party does not wish to destabilize the federal government, it holds the power to do so.

The Rs250 billion project is currently on hold, pending approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).

Bilawal has warned that the PPP could consider leaving the ruling coalition if the issue is not resolved to Sindh’s satisfaction.

Earlier this year, the Green Pakistan Initiative, launched by COAS General Asim Munir and Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz, aimed at transforming agriculture, sparked unrest in Sindh. The provincial assembly passed a resolution in March opposing the proposed canals.

The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and other nationalist groups have organized large rallies across Sindh, including in Karachi, to protest the project.

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