Water being stolen within Sindh, Fehmida tells NA

ISLAMABAD: As the parliamentarians from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the National Assembly protested shortage of water in lower Sindh, Dr Fehmida Mirza disclosed on the floor of the House that irrigation water was being stolen within the province.

Reacting to a point of order raised by PPP Member Syed Naveed Qamar on the issue, Fehmida observed that it was a fact that there was a shortage of water in Sindh, but it should also be checked as to who was stealing water from the Kotri Barrage and the Sukkur Barrage. “If there is a shortage of water, it should be equal at the two barrages,” she said. She pointed out that the Sindh Irrigation minister provided illegal water connections between the two barrages to allow stealing of water prior to by-elections in a constituency of the Badin district, earlier this month. “This is just one example as to how elections are won in the province,” she said.

She alleged that illegal water connections were provided on May 19, a day before the by-elections on a Sindh Assembly constituency in Badin on May 20. She said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who visited Badin, promised people that action would be taken against the minister. “I also ask PPP leaders present in the House to give a commitment on the issue,” she said.

The ex-speaker said she and her family members were facing life threats due to activities of a criminal who wanted to occupy her lands. She pointed out that a criminal namely Basharat Zardari wanted to occupy her agricultural land as he did in the past. “The criminal accompanied by his accomplices arrive at her land and fires in the air with latest automatic weapons which are not possessed by the police,” she said. Fehmida Mirza, who hails from the Grand Democratic Alliance, opposed opening of the Panjnad Link Canal.

Earlier, raising the issue in the House, PPP Member Syed Naveed Qamar said various areas in lower Sindh including Badin, Thatta, Tando Mohammad Khan and Mirpur Khas were facing severe water shortage while the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) was not doing justice to resolve the issue. He said the Panjnad Link Canal had been opened whereas it was mentioned in the water accord that any water shortage would be equally shared by all the provinces and a single province would not suffer.