The federal government has withdrawn its plan to build new canals from the Indus River following a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The CCI meeting, convened specifically to address the canals project, included the four provincial chief ministers — Maryam Nawaz, Sarfraz Bugti, Murad Ali Shah, and Ali Amin Gandapur, along with federal ministers Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif, and Amir Muqam. A total of 25 special invitees also attended the session.
The eight-member council deliberated on a six-point agenda, including a key item from the Sindh government regarding the controversial canals initiative. After discussions, the CCI decided to scrap the plan to extract canals from the Indus River, with the federal government formally retracting the project.
Sources said a technical committee would be formed to develop a future course of action regarding water management. The decision to cancel the project was reached unanimously.
Lawyers’ protests over canals project intensify across Sindh
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur confirmed that the CCI had rejected the canals project. He stressed that every province would receive its rightful share of water, stating, “We will not allow any province’s rights to be infringed upon.”
Gandapur added that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had submitted additional demands for future CCI agendas and vowed to secure all constitutional rights through dialogue.
Sharing further developments, he announced that the letter previously sent to IRSA regarding the canals had been withdrawn, a move that particularly benefits the people of Sindh. Gandapur also highlighted that provinces would now secure their due shares under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.
He mentioned that constitutional issues related to the 10th and 11th NFC Awards would be addressed, and revisions are underway to ensure rightful allocations. Additionally, the longstanding matter of “Net Hydel Profit” under the AGN Qazi formula has been added to the next CCI meeting’s agenda.
Calling it a major breakthrough, Gandapur said this step would bring a benefit of Rs100 billion to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, securing a constitutional right that had been denied for years.
He also pointed out that, despite the 18th Amendment, the cash crop of tobacco had not been classified under agriculture for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This issue would now be addressed, ensuring rightful revenue for the province.
It is pertinent to mention that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier met with a PPP delegation led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, following which he announced a CCI meeting for May 2 to discuss Sindh’s concerns. However, responding to the urgency, the prime minister convened the CCI meeting earlier than scheduled.
