LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) over its stance on the controversial Cholistan canals project, accusing the Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari-led party of shedding “crocodile tears” on the matter.
“The PPP knew that the project featured six canals when it was approved. Why did the PPP not speak up when the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) issued a certificate of water availability?” questioned Qureshi while speaking to the media during his appearance in a case related to Jinnah House and Askari Tower attack case concerning the May 9 riots 2023.
The canals issue relates to the federal government’s plan to construct six canals on the Indus River to irrigate the Cholistan desert — a project that was rejected by its main ally PPP, and other Sindh nationalist parties.
According to government sources, the estimated cost of the Cholistan canal and system is Rs211.4 billion and through the project, thousands of acres of barren land can be used for agricultural purposes, and 400,000 acres of land can be brought under cultivation.
