Islamabad: Sindh Provincial Minister for Irrigation Sohail Anwar Sial has said that there is constant injustice with Sindh. Sindh does not want anyone’s share of water. Sindh’s share should be given under the agreement. IRSA is supporting Punjab and the PTI government is abusing Sindh in collaboration with IRSA. When I am raising the issue of water, a notice has been sent by the NAB, he said. PPP chief media coordinator Nazir Dhoki was also present at the press conference in Islamabad.
He said that the issue was going on in Sindh due to water shortage for many days. The KP Chief Minister was present in the meeting with the Prime Minister today but Balochistan was not represented in the meeting. He said that the Taunsa-Panjnad (TP) link canal has been opened on the 24th and it was said that it has been opened at the behest of the chairman standing committee for agriculture, Nawab Yousuf Talpur while Talpur has denied it.
The Punjab Minister said that TP Canal will not be closed. He said that water should be distributed under Water Accord even though there is continuous injustice meted out to Sindh. We demand our share of water. Water should be provided according to the water accord. No decision could be taken in the meeting with the Prime minister. He said that Sindh’s water is being stolen by Punjab with the connivance of IRSA. He said that the share of Sindh’s GDP is 23% in agriculture of Pakistan. The representative of Balochistan was not present in the meeting.
I came to know about the press release of NAB at the same time when I was attending the meeting with the prime minister. Sial said that I asked the Chairman NAB to call DG NAB Sukkur and inform him that the case against me is false and concocted. The case is being initiated at a time when I am raising water issue. He said that the chairman of IRSA has abused the IRSA member of Sindh. We have raised this issue.
Sial said that he would meet the Chief Minister tomorrow and report back to him about today’s meeting and inform Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as well. He said that this issue is not a political issue but a provincial issue. Sindh Assembly has passed a resolution to remove the chairman of IRSA who is also a member Punjab in IRSA. Sial said that the cotton cultivation starts after April 20. Sindh needs water now but Sindh is being given less water. We are only demanding our right, he concluded.