Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah issued a warning to the federal government on Tuesday, asserting that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has the power to bring down the PML-N-led coalition but is choosing restraint to prevent a political crisis.
Speaking to a private news channel, he stated: “We have infinite capacity. We can topple them, but we do not want to in order to avoid any crisis.” He cautioned the Centre, “Don’t push us to the point where a decision is made that causes everyone to lose.”
The chief minister reiterated PPP’s firm opposition to the federally-backed canal project under the Green Pakistan Initiative. “The people of Sindh will now only agree on one thing — that this project should be abandoned,” he said, calling the controversial plan the sole source of the ongoing crisis.
Shah criticised the federal government’s handling of the canal issue, which has sparked widespread protests across Sindh. In response to a 72-hour ultimatum issued by demonstrators, he revealed that the federal government had initiated talks on the matter and that dialogue was progressing.
He confirmed that construction on the over Rs250 billion canal project has currently been halted due to pressure from the Sindh government, adding that it had yet to receive approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
Raising concerns about water distribution, the chief minister questioned the Centre on where the additional water for the six new canals would be sourced. He emphasised that any such project must be approved with the consent of the lower riparian provinces.
The government had sought permission from the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) for the project, citing that 27% of river water flows into the sea.
However, Murad noted that the proposal made no mention of water conservation measures and said that the Sindh government has formally challenged Irsa’s certification. “This case has been pending with the Council of Common Interests (CCI) since June last year,” he added.
