In a significant development, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, led a high-level PPP delegation in a crucial meeting with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his team in Islamabad. Following the discussions, both the PPP Chairman and the Prime Minister addressed the media to announce the outcome of their talks.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari shared that after thorough deliberations, an essential decision was reached: no new canals will be constructed without unanimous agreement among all provinces. This decision is set to be formally ratified in the upcoming Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting on May 2, where it will be reaffirmed that no canals will be built without full provincial consensus.
The PPP Chairman further highlighted that objections had been raised by three provinces regarding the controversial Kalabagh Dam. Today, a collective decision was made, ensuring that no canals will be initiated without mutual understanding and agreement among all stakeholders.
Additionally, Bilawal strongly condemned India’s recent statements concerning the Indus Waters Treaty. He affirmed that Pakistan will raise the issue publicly and offer a robust response to India’s stance on the matter.
Reflecting on the meeting’s positive outcomes, Bilawal tweeted, expressing his gratitude to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for considering the PPP’s concerns regarding the proposed canals. He welcomed the government’s commitment to ensuring that no new canals will be created without the full consensus of the CCI and agreement among the provinces. Furthermore, the Prime Minister has pledged to convene the CCI meeting on May 2 to formally adopt this policy, returning any proposals related to new canals to the relevant ministry pending inter-provincial consensus.
