CCI Bars New Canals Without Consensus: Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah

Islamabad: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced on Monday that the Council of Common Interests (CCI) has decided no new canal projects will proceed without unanimous agreement among the provinces. He described the decision as a significant step toward national unity and a resolution to a deeply contentious issue in Sindh.
Speaking to the media after the CCI meeting, Shah acknowledged the widespread unrest among the people of Sindh regarding the canal projects, particularly one approved during the caretaker government, which the Sindh government strongly opposed.
“I want to congratulate the people of Sindh from the bottom of my heart,” he said. “Today marks the end of a long-standing concern over canal construction that caused considerable anxiety in the province.”
He extended special thanks to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for understanding the sensitivity of the issue and playing a constructive role in resolving it.
Shah revealed that due to Sindh’s persistent objections, the controversial project’s approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) was delayed four times, and not a single rupee was spent on it. He added that earlier claims suggesting provinces would not agree to cancel the project were proven wrong.
The CM confirmed that the temporary ECNEC approval granted on February 7 has now officially been withdrawn. He lamented the political propaganda surrounding the issue, stating that even former President Asif Ali Zardari was unfairly targeted in efforts to mislead the public in Sindh.