Sindh [Pakistan], April 14 : Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Faryal Talpur vowed on Sunday that her party would not allow the development of new canals over the Indus River. She warned that the entire province would rise up if such issues continued, adding that they did not want any chaos in Sindh, Dawn reported.
On February 15, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Pakistan's Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Munir inaugurated the Cholistan project to irrigate south Punjab's lands amid public outcry and strong reservations in Sindh.
The PPP, which is in power in Sindh, farmers and other stakeholders have opposed the Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI), worth USD 3.3 billion, launched by the federal government to construct six canals to irrigate 1.2 million acres of "barren land" in south Punjab.
Earlier this week, lawyers warned the federal government that they would begin protests if the planned development of canals in Cholistan was not stopped within a week, Dawn reported.
While addressing a rally at the residence of Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon's residence in Tando Jam on Saturday, Talpur said PPP workers would not allow the development of canals. She further said, "It is a question of your livelihood, and it is a question of water."
She slammed the opposition for underestimating the PPP, calling it a party of leaders who had sacrificed their lives. She said, "We will fight till our last breath but will not allow the construction of these canals" and recalled Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's remarks in the joint session of parliament where he expressed his views against the construction of canals.
Talpur asked, "What are you going to do? Are you going to irrigate a desert by destroying a garden?" She further asked, "Where did this mindset actually come from?" and questioned what kind of politics this was, Dawn reported.
PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro said that people know about the conditions that exist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He said, "Now there should not be any conflict between Sindh and Punjab, but the PPP will not allow this attack on the province's water. That's why the PPP chairman [Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari] is going to address a public meeting."
He called on PPP workers to attend the event on April 18. He stated that the PPP had sacrificed for the country, and people were speaking about the disintegration of Pakistan just for the sake of one canal, Dawn reported.
Sindh Senior Minister Memon also spoke against the canals project, saying that the economy of the rural area revolved around water, livestock and agriculture. He asked, "And if you deprive us of these resources, then do you want to kill us of thirst?"
He slammed PPP's opponents and recalled that these people were holding a pro-Kalabagh Dam rally when Pervez Musharraf served as Pakistan's President. He stated that the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, which was now in opposition, had held a rally in support of the Kalabagh Dam in Sanghar back then. He stated that these elements were engaging in politics today only to mislead people and launch propaganda against Zardari.
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