News
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Reopening of Chashma-Jhelum Link CanalGilani seeks to calm angry Sindh
* PM assures Sindh cabinet members water controversy will be resolved amicably
* Sassui Palijo accuses Pervaiz Ashraf of being partial on water issueBy Razzak Abro
KARACHI: Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday assured Sindh cabinet members that the controversy surrounding the reopening of the Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal would be resolved amicably.
He said this while chairing a special meeting of the Sindh cabinet at the Chief Minister’s House in Karachi on Monday. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan, Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Interior Minister Rehman Malik attended the meeting.
Later, briefing reporters about the meeting, Sindh Chief Minister’s Adviser on Information Jameel Soomro said though the provincial government considered directives issued by Indus River System Authority (IRSA) acting chairman Shafqat Masood illegal, the province was not demanding his removal because he was holding the charge temporarily.
Provincial Minister for Culture Sassui Palijo, however, told the journalists that the federal government should immediately remove the acting chairman, and order the closure of the canal.
She also accused Pervaiz Ashraf of being partial on the water issue, saying that he had not yet responded to an official letter sent to him by the Sindh irrigation minister on the reopening of the canal.
During the meeting, the Sindh chief minister and officials of the Thar Coal Energy Board briefed the prime minister about the progress on the project. The officials informed the PM that the country would be able to generate at least 10,000 megawatts of electricity from the Thar Coal project by 2020. They said $79 billion on fuel replacement costs would be saved once the project was complete, while the national economy would benefit by Rs 8 trillion due to reduced power generation costs.
The PM assured the federal government’s full support for infrastructure development of the Thar coal field, saying the project was the future of Pakistan.
He directed the Sindh government to discuss the project with Federal Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh to obtain funds.
Sindh Home Minsiter Dr Zulfiqar Mirza also informed Gilani about the ongoing operation against land mafia in Karachi. He said most of the target killings in the city were linked to land disputes.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk