Rabbani asks Centre to refrain from constructing Cholistan Canal Project

ISLAMABAD: Former Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani urged the federal government to refrain from the construction of the Cholistan Canal Project, as one of the federating units, Sindh, has serious reservations and opposes it.

“The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) should not have approved the controversial project after it had been opposed by the Government of Sindh. The project should not be taken up by ECNEC as Sindh, being the lower riparian, has serious reservations to the same,” he said on Wednesday.

Rabbani said the Government of Sindh has taken up this matter in the Council of Common Interest (CCI), which is the appropriate forum for deciding on controversial projects. He said the decision of CDWP and its referral to the ECNEC, before the CCI can take up and decide the issue, amounts to bypassing the constitutional process provided for and is an infringement of the rights of a province.

Raza Rabbani said in violation of clause (3), Article 154, Constitution, 1973, the Federal Government, even after the passage of 90 days, has not summoned a meeting of the CCI which is a violation of the Constitution. The Former Chairman said a meeting of the CCI should be called immediately as asked for by the Government of Sindh and the Cholistan Canal Project be discussed, given the reservations of Sindh.