KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the federal government, asserting that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has the political strength to bring down the PML-N-led coalition government but is exercising restraint to avoid sparking a national crisis.
Speaking in an interview with a private news channel, Shah remarked, “We have infinite capacity. We can topple them, but we do not want to in order to avoid any crisis.” He warned the Centre against testing the PPP’s patience, stating, “Don’t push us to the point where a decision is made that causes everyone to lose.”
Shah strongly criticised the federally-supported canal project under the Green Pakistan Initiative, labeling it as the primary cause of the current unrest in Sindh. “The people of Sindh will now only agree on one thing — that this project should be abandoned,” he asserted.
The chief minister’s comments came amid rising tensions over the over Rs250 billion canal scheme, which has provoked widespread protests across Sindh. Demonstrators issued a 72-hour ultimatum to halt the project, prompting the federal government to initiate talks. Shah confirmed that the dialogue process was underway and that construction on the project had been paused due to pressure from the Sindh government.
He further disclosed that the controversial project has not yet received approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). Questioning the basis of the plan, Shah demanded clarity on the source of water for the six new canals. “Any such project must have the consent of lower riparian provinces,” he emphasized.
While the federal government cited that 27% of river water flows into the sea as justification, Shah rejected the proposal’s lack of water conservation measures. He revealed that Sindh has formally challenged the Indus River System Authority’s (IRSA) certification and noted the case has been pending with the Council of Common Interests (CCI) since June 2024.
