Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah urges canal project detractors to tread cautiously
Pakistan
Shah emphasised that no project against the interests of the people of Sindh would be accepted
KARACHI (Dunya News) - Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has warned that if the controversial canal project proceeds without Sindh’s approval, people in the province will be forced to take to the street.
Speaking to the media after offering condolences at Cardinal House over the passing of Pope Francis, CM Shah emphasised that no project against the interests of the people of Sindh would be accepted.
He stated that regardless of who initiated the project, the Sindh government had not approved it. Since July, no progress has been made on the Cholistan canals, and the PPP has raised strong objections at every level.
Shah asserted, “We’re not questioning anyone’s intentions, but we also won’t play into anyone’s hands. This is a collective cause, and we are determined to stop the canal project for the greater good of the country.”
Expressing concern for farmers, Shah noted that Punjab’s farmers may consider not cultivating wheat next year, and stressed the need for adopting modern agricultural technologies, citing China’s higher wheat yield per acre.
He also criticised a lack of progress in cotton production and called for fact-checking India's Indira Canal’s impacts via AI tools like ChatGPT.
The chief minister urged all stakeholders in Sindh to protest the canal plan but peacefully, avoiding road blockages that would cause inconvenience to locals.
He concluded by expressing hope that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would respect Sindh’s concerns and make a just decision, recalling that even during British colonial times, canal projects in upper regions were rejected if they harmed lower riparian areas.
AZMA BOKHARI'S RIPOSTE
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has slammed Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, saying that he and his party have ruled Sindh for 16 years and now it’s high time they showed their performance.
Reacting strongly to Murad Ali Shah’s recent press conference, Bokhari said the Sindh CM seemed more concerned about Punjab’s farmers than his own.
“Punjab has its own leaders to speak for its farmers,” she added.
She questioned whether the Sindh government had fixed wheat price or even begun purchasing the crop from farmers.
Bokhari highlighted Punjab’s achievement under CM Maryam Nawaz, including Rs110 billion package for farmers, solar tube wells, green tractors, super seeders and record wheat production.
She also accused Shah of supporting protesters who blocked Sindh’s main highways, urging him to act differently from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Ali Amin Gandapur.
