Prime Minister’s Adviser on Public and Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, said that the issue surrounding the canals in Sindh was pointless because these six canals were not being built in Punjab.
He said: “There is only one canal in Punjab. No one is talking about the five others and where they are. Two of them are in Sindh.”
Speaking about the canals issue, which is currently a point of contention between the Centre and the Sindh government, Sanaullah said that the matter will be resolved by both sides.
He explained that the Sindh’s ruling party, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was currently “under attack by the so-called nationalists” in the province. “The matter will be discussed in a serious environment at some point in the future and will be resolved through consensus,” he said.
He also assured that the federal government would not take any unilateral action in this regard.
“Shouldn’t the Thar Desert in Sindh be greener? And if Punjab’s Cholistan Desert becomes lush, won’t it benefit Pakistan, or will it only be in Punjab’s interest,” he asked.
He emphasised that the Green Pakistan Initiative is a futuristic project linked to the country’s future. “It is the need of the hour,” he said.
Sanaullah also suggested that both sides could move forward on the matter with a serious mindset. “Currently, some elements in Sindh have made a fuss about it, but they do not have any public mandate,” he added.
He clarified that labelling the project as solely for Punjab or the federal government is incorrect. “This is a project under the Green Pakistan Initiative, and it is for the benefit of the entire country.”
Regarding Pakistan’s river system, Sanaullah said: “Our river system has an expected limit of 140 billion acres of water, but it is usually around 100 billion acres. Under the existing irrigation system, if we mechanise and modernise the system, we can achieve a 50% water saving, which can then be used to address water shortages.”
The Cholistan Canal project has become a matter of contention between the federal and provincial governments since Centre announced plans to construct six canals on the Indus River to irrigate the Cholistan desert.
