Govt adopts double standards on Kalabagh dam Dateline Sindh

There are a host of issues surfacing in the province as I start writing this piece but the most prominent issue of the week was the remarks of President Gen Pervez Musharraf when he stated in Larkana (hometown of Benazir Bhutto) that he is not taking the name of the Kalabagh dam because the people of Sindh have reservations.

What prompted him to change his stance, especially in interior of Sindh? “Past governments are responsible for injustices with Sindh and Sindh has reservations over Kalabagh dam; therefore, I am not talking about Kalabagh dam,” the president told a gathering in a village near Larkana, where thousands of people from all over the province were assembled through the courtesy of elected representatives of the ruling PML. This selected gathering heard an appealing message for the people of Sindh.

Though the rulers, when speaking at meetings and public gatherings, always talk about constructing dams, including Kalabagh dam, in Punjab but President Musharraf tactfully avoided speaking about Kalabagh dam and didn’t seek people’s support for construction of this most controversial dam on the Indus River.

The people of Sindh in general and political as well as nationalist parties in particular have opposition to water projects since water is not available in the system and mistrust is based on decades not months.

The nationalist parties have taken a very clear stand on Kalabagh dam and other dams on the Indus River while federal-level parties have not taken such a stand throughout the country but other parties have different opinions in different provinces.

The nationalists are tight-lipped on the recent statements of President Musharraf made in a district of Upper Sindh that according to them is fast emerging as a stronghold of ruling Muslim League.

The reasons could be many but this statement should serve as a turning point in the struggle against water projects on the Indus River that when a top-level

government official admits that people of Sindh have some reservations on Kalabagh dam then no moral ground exists to go ahead with such a project no matter how much beneficial it is for the country’s energy demands.

The world has become a global village as far as ground realities go and the best model for going ahead with a project is mass participation. When the people of Sindh are not happy with a project then such a proposal should be withdrawn.

The national conference held under the auspices of Awami Tehreek (AT) recently at Bhit Shah called for full provincial autonomy, demanded a “genuine” constituent assembly and rejected the 1991 water accord.

The conference held at Bhit Shah stadium was largely attended by workers and activists of AT while its chief Rasool Bux Palejo chaired it.

The state is in severe crisis and federation doesn’t exist in its true spirit and structure and we, the people of Sindh and Pakistan, firmly believe that the crisis could only be resolved if the foundations of state are laid on the basis of 1940 resolutions, said a resolution adopted at the conference.

Some nationalist leaders of Balochistan and Sindh turned up at the gathering but many other nationalist parties stayed away for reasons best known to them.

The moot demanded that the military should be promptly dispatched to their barracks to perform their primary job to defend their country.

It said the federation should have only three subjects: defence, foreign policy and currency. The remaining subjects should be handed over to provinces to replace the present unitary system with full authority to provinces over their fiscal and natural resources.

The conference said there should be no direct or indirect intervention of military in provincial matters and office of governor should be abolished constitutionally.

The conference demanded that a genuine constituent assembly be elected based on equal representation from all provinces to frame a new constitution based on resolutions of 23rd March 1940 and 12th April 1946.

It said a new constitution should guarantee full provincial autonomy, religious harmony and tolerance, institution of full democracy and assurance that new constitution could never be violated.

The moot rejected the 1991 water accord and demanded restoration of 1945 water distribution agreement between Sindh and Punjab.

It said no more dams should be constructed — neither Kalabagh nor any other dam and a compensation of Rs 100 billion be paid by the federal government to Sindhi people and other aggrieved provinces for the water thefts of the last 150 years.

The conference, representing the conscience of Sindhi people, demanded that “hegemonic” policies be abandoned forthwith and Sindh and Balochistan be allowed and enabled to exercise their historic right of “sovereignty” and “autonomy.”

It demanded immediate withdrawal of military from political sphere and rejected the existing NFC Award on the basis of population and demanded that Sindh should be paid compensation for injustice amounting to Rs 3,000 billion.

It also condemned the killing of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and called for stopping military operation in Balochistan and urged for releasing all the missing nationalist activists of Sindh and Balochistan.

The government should take stock of all these recommendations so as to prepare a final document of provincial autonomy, it said.

Another issue that media focused because of its sensitivity was the arson in Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tandojam after the death of a university student, Majid Rajput.

His killing did not open the eyes of the university administration as it didn’t take action against the culprits involved in the crime within the campus.

The situation aggravated when a large number of citizens and miscreants set scores of vehicles on fire and entire Tandojam town remained closed for two days to mourn the death.

The police have not yet arrested the real culprits and the family has already expressed its dissatisfaction on the pace of investigation. The authorities should, therefore, take immediate steps to avert such violence in campuses and culprits should not remain at large.

journalistadeel@yahoo.com