ISLAMABAD – A key meeting of the Council of Common Interests, headed by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, was held, in which the proposals for the construction of new canals were rejected.
It was decided in the meeting that no new canal project will be started without joint approval and all steps will be subject to mutual consent of the federation and the provinces.
The federal government is working with all the provinces to prepare a long-term roadmap for agricultural development and effective management of water resources. The rights of all provinces are fully protected in the 1991 Water Agreement and the 2018 Water Policy.
It was also decided to constitute a comprehensive committee to address the concerns of the provinces, which will formulate viable proposals for environmental protection and food security.
The Council of Common Interests strongly condemned India’s unilateral illegal actions and said that Pakistan is a peaceful but strong country in self-defense. The chief ministers demonstrated strong national unity against any move by India in unison.
The Council strongly supported the resolution passed in the Senate against the Indian actions and reiterated its commitment to defend Pakistan’s water rights in case of violation of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Several reports of CCI Secretariat, NEPRA and State of Industry were also presented in the meeting.
