Hyderabad: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has strongly opposed a controversial canal project, warning that it could endanger national unity and Pakistan’s global standing. Addressing a public gathering in Hyderabad, Bilawal urged the federal government to immediately withdraw the project, asserting that the people of Sindh and the broader Pakistani public reject it.
“The canal project is not only controversial, but it poses a serious threat at both the national and international level,” Bilawal said. He warned that if the federal government fails to halt the project, the PPP will not be able to support it and may be forced to reconsider its alliance.
Recalling past resistance, he noted that PPP activists had previously stood firmly against the construction of two similar canals during the tenure of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. “It was through people’s power that we brought a vote of no confidence and sent the canal-approving government home,” he said.
Bilawal emphasized that fair water distribution is both a national and global responsibility. “Our opposition to this canal project is based on principles and the belief that it threatens the federation,” he stated, adding that the government in Islamabad appears indifferent and unresponsive to provincial concerns.
He expressed deep concern that the canal plan could exacerbate divisions within the country at a time when Pakistan is already grappling with terrorist attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Introducing such a divisive project amid national insecurity is reckless. It pits brother against brother and endangers lives by worsening water shortages,” he warned.
The PPP chairman reminded the government that its current strength in parliament is due to the support of Sindh’s people. “If Shehbaz Sharif is Prime Minister today, he owes it to the people of Sindh,” he asserted.
Bilawal clarified that PPP is not seeking ministries or positions, but rather the fulfillment of its demands. “We support the country's progress, the defeat of terrorism and their international backers, economic relief, and job creation. We were willing to cooperate on these goals, but not at the cost of Sindh’s rights,” he said.
Criticizing the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Bilawal accused them of adopting anti-farmer policies. He referenced the wheat scandal and the federal government’s refusal to allow provinces to offer support prices to farmers, calling it an “economic massacre of farmers.”
Bilawal also questioned the plan to cultivate desert lands such as Cholistan while Sindh has been facing water shortages for over 25 years. “If you want to develop new areas, go ahead, but we will not allow any compromise on the Indus River,” he said.
Concluding his address, Bilawal offered a cooperative gesture. “If the federal government halts this controversial project, I am ready to sit with them to plan the next 50 years of agricultural development,” he said.
