LAHORE – Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif Friday maintained that the province alone has the right to decide how its water resources are utilised, stating that she would not let anyone interfere in the internal affairs of Punjab.
“The issue of canals is before the Council of Common Interests (CCI). What Punjab does with its waters is our concern,” she asserted, reiterating that her stance on the rights of the province was “abjectly clear.”
Speaking to a delegation of the National Security War Course that comprised officers from Pakistan’s Armed Forces, civil service and 47 delegates from 26 nations, the chief minister also mentioned that Punjab had always been supportive of telemetry systems to record the flow of water, but there had been very little encouraging response from other provinces.
Maryam emphasised that she does not overstep into the affairs of other provinces at all and cautioned against politicising canal reforms. “I have the responsibility for Punjab’s matters, and I’ll take them to the battlefield,” she further stated.
The statement of the chief minister follows in the wake of an acrimonious war of words be-tween the PPP and the PML-N, though they are partners in the federal coalition. PPP spokesmen have been accusing the Punjab government of policies, especially in distrib-uting flood relief and the controversial canal project for irrigating Cholistan’s desert soil.
Punjab’s insistence that it is applying its share of water as per the Constitution has elicited caustic criticism from Sindh-based PPP leaders, who say such action could jeopardize wa-ter-sharing arrangements.
The escalating tension led to the federal government constituting a parliamentary commit-tee with the mandate of de-escalating tension and arriving at a consensus on inter-provincial water and flood relief issues.
By reaffirming Punjab’s “exclusive right” to waters of the province, Maryam Nawaz indicat-ed that her government will not compromise on its position, even as coalition politics con-tinue under pressure. Addressing another ceremony, the CM defended the relief effort of Punjab and aimed at political opponents who, according to her, had politicised the tragedy through press conferences. She claimed that she had practiced restraint but would not stand for derision of Punjab’s misfortune any further. In paying personal respect to Asif Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari — whom she referred to as respected ones — she stated that denigrating Punjab in a time of crisis was unacceptable and promised never to apologize for defending the province. “Punjab’s dignity will not be compromised,” she reit-erated, calling on critics to think twice before speaking against the population of the prov-ince.
Also, addressing the delegation, the chief minister congratulated the Pakistan Navy, Army, and Air Force on the success of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsus, hailing Field Marshal Asim Munir and the nation’s military leadership for what she called a “historic achieve-ment.”
Maryam Nawaz stated that each and every decision of a ruler directly impacts the lives of people and that only an economically and militarily powerful nation earns respect around the world. The chief minister also shared with the delegation Punjab’s recent development and reform initiatives. She reemphasized that her government had put an end to nepotism in Punjab and that appointments were made strictly on merit without any corruption charg-es.
Detailing accomplishments since assuming office, Maryam asserted that law and order had also picked up considerably with the creation of the Crimes Control Department (CCD), resulting in a significant decline in crime. She also mentioned the deployment of thermal imaging drones to find the bodies of flood victims in far-flung areas amidst Pun-jab’s biggest ever evacuation exercise. The CM added that agriculture was being upgrad-ed, health centers were being upgraded to European standards, and cancer patients were being given treatment using co-ablation technology at exorbitant costs. She added the inclusion of 15 smog cannons, upgrading of 500 villages, and the introduction of spe-cial forces for anti-narcotics and protection of the environment.
Dismissing the impression that she is against local government, the CM asserted she is in favor of devolving powers to local representatives. She emphasized that Punjab’s gov-ernance is constantly reviewed for performance and service delivery.
Delegates, including one from Bangladesh, complimented Punjab’s welfare and develop-mental programs, terming them innovative and people-oriented.
