Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senators staged a protest during a Senate session on Tuesday against the controversial canal project, accusing the federal government of water theft and calling for urgent debate on the issue.
The session, chaired by Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani, began with opposition members expressing frustration over not being given time to raise points of order, Express News reported.
Tensions escalated when PPP senators stood from their seats, chanting slogans such as “Water thieves not acceptable” and “Stop stealing Sindh’s water.”
Senator Saifullah Abro highlighted the ongoing protests in Sindh, where people have been demonstrating for over a week. He stressed that multiple parties had submitted resolutions in the Senate against the canal project and demanded a chance to speak.
Chairman Gillani responded by requesting Senator Abro to speak after the question hour. However, Abro staged a sit-in in front of the chairman’s dais.
Gillani suggested that the matter be brought to the floor for debate through coordination with Senator Sherry Rehman. The PPP senators, dissatisfied with the response, staged a walkout from the session.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar reassured the House that the government was open to dialogue and that no decision would be forced through without proper consultation. He confirmed that cabinet members were present to answer questions.
Amid the protest, Chairman Gillani noted a quorum call, but initially confirmed that the House had the required number of members. However, a subsequent count revealed that the quorum was incomplete, prompting the ringing of bells in the Senate galleries.
The protest intensified with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senators raising loud slogans. Senator Humayun Mohmand criticised the government, stating that it was shameful for treasury members to raise quorum objections. Senator Falak Naz Chitrali chanted, “PPP drowned in shame.”
At one point, only one senator from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nasir Butt, remained seated in the chamber.
Leader of the Opposition Shibli Faraz also criticised the government, pointing out that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had been deprived of its Senate representation for a year. He condemned the failure to fill the vacant seat left by Sania Nishtar and claimed that certain parties had blocked the election process.
Chairman Gillani responded that the Election Commission had been duly informed of the vacant seat. However, as the quorum remained incomplete with only 19 members present, the chairman adjourned the session until Friday at 10:30 am.
