PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, with unyielding conviction, issued a stern warning to the ruling PML-N on Friday, cautioning them against persisting in their confrontational approach with Sindh regarding the contentious new canals on the Indus River.
Standing before an earnestly engaged crowd at the Hatri Bypass Ground under the starlit sky of Friday night, he declared that his party would sever ties with the federal government unless they abandoned the controversial projects, even after recognizing the PPP’s concerns.
The lion (sher), he asserted, is relentlessly predatory on the lifeblood of the people, and the Shehbaz Sharif administration’s policies stand resolutely against the interests of farmers. He emphasized the dichotomy, noting that those orchestrating this project were, ironically, indebted to the PPP for their very hold on power.
He further accused the central government of depriving farmers of support prices and hindering provinces from procuring wheat crops. This, coupled with imposing onerous taxes on the agricultural sector amid skyrocketing input costs, compounded the hardship.
“To us, ministerial positions are insignificant; what we seek is due respect, and you must heed the people’s demands,” he proclaimed with unwavering resolve from the stage.
I initially believed that Shahbaz Sharif would distance himself from the project after witnessing such a vehement reaction. He is well aware that without the backing of the PPP, he cannot conduct assembly sessions or successfully pass the budget. However, it seems that he is reluctant to abandon the project. If that is his stance, then we are equally determined not to relent,” he asserted.
In his fervent speech, Mr. Bhutto-Zardari passionately recounted the challenging eras the PPP had endured under successive military regimes for their steadfast principles, and he emphasized their readiness to once again face tough times ahead.
“Do you imagine that your threats, suggesting that NAB will target Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan [Shoro], will intimidate him? No, my bhai, PPP jiyala’s cannot be intimidated,” he proclaimed confidently.
He was likely referring to the Rs 5 billion NAB reference concerning government land against the irrigation minister. Furthermore, he extended hearty congratulations to the residents of Umerkot for retaining the seat that had become vacant following the unfortunate passing of Nawab Yusuf Talpur.
‘The triumph sends a clear message that the people have rejected the controversial canal project,’ he commented, stating that they were the ‘khappay walay,’ not the ‘na-khappay walay,’ alluding to the famous slogan his father, Asif Ali Zardari, raised after Benazir Bhutto’s tragic assassination.
The PPP chairman’s statement also seemed to jab at the ongoing protests regarding canals by the Save Indus River Movement, whose leader, Syed Zain Shah, is the grandson of G.M. Syed — an advocate for an independent Sindh.
He reminded everyone that this was the very place where he had proclaimed his intention to remove the ‘selected’ then-premier Imran Khan via a no-confidence vote, emphasizing that he had fulfilled that promise.
Bilawal felt it was his national and international duty to prevent risks to the federation, warning of potential international issues.
He mentioned how his mother had fiercely led a struggle for fair interprovincial water distribution, raising her voice against the Kalabagh Dam with national support. ‘When Raja Pervez Ashraf took on the role of water minister, he declared that the Kalabagh Dam had been permanently discarded,’ he noted.
‘People in Islamabad are unresponsive and indifferent. They refuse to hear or see anyone,’ he said, adding that their opposition to the canal projects was founded on principles.
‘This project threatens the federation’s integrity at a critical moment when insurgents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa attack security forces, while with international backing, terrorists fight under the guise of religion, engulfing the entire nation in the flames of terrorism,’ he cautioned.