ISLAMABAD: In a major development, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that no controversial canal projects will proceed without mutual agreement in the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
He also said that a CCI meeting has been summoned on May 2.
Speaking at a joint press conference alongside Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari after a meeting with a PPP delegation, the prime minister stated that all decisions on canal construction will be made with consensus in the CCI.
“We have held serious discussions on the matter of canals,” the prime minister said, adding, “Pakistan is a federation, and its unity demands that provincial matters be resolved through consultation and sincerity.”
Shehbaz Sharif acknowledged that although the Kalabagh Dam would economically benefit the country, the federal government considers Sindh’s objections more important, which he said represents Pakistan’s greater interest.
“If a project clashes with the federation’s interests, we will avoid it,” he stressed. “Canal-related issues should be settled with mutual consent, and today’s meeting between PML-N and PPP reflects agreement through consensus.”
He reiterated that no new canal will be constructed without agreement in the CCI, and no project will move forward without the approval of the provinces.
The prime minister confirmed that the CCI meeting will be held on May 2 during which both PPP and PML-N are expected to endorse the federal government’s decisions.
Bilawal Bhutto thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for listening to the concerns of the PPP and the people of Sindh. “The PM has taken steps that have significantly reduced tensions,” he said, adding that once the CCI meets, its decisions will be formally endorsed.
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He reiterated that no new canals would be constructed without consensus and that projects would not proceed in the face of public objections.
Earlier, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, accompanied by a PPP delegation including Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Humayun Khan, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Shazia Marri, met with the prime minister.