PESHAWAR: In a move that has caused considerable discontent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial government has raised serious objections to the proposed amendments to the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Act, 1992 by the interim federal government.
Demanding immediate attention of the federal authorities, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has called for the issue of amendments to the Council of Common Interests (CCI), citing constitutional obligations.
Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Member Syed Zahid Abbas yesterday wrote a letter to the IRSA Chairman in Islamabad expressing serious concern over the proposed amendments to the IRSA Act.
In a statement, Abbas highlighted the lack of consultation with the provinces on the proposed changes, arguing that such matters require discussion in the Council of Common Interests under Article 155 of the Constitution.
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The letter highlights that the proposed changes were not vetted at IRSA meetings or discussed with the provinces, a breach of protocol.
Abbas further argued that the unilateral move to amend the IRSA Act is a direct challenge to the water-sharing agreement between the provinces and potentially violates their rights. He stressed that in the interest of the federation as well as the provinces, the matter should be discussed within the existing laws and brought before the CCI.
Reports suggest that the Interim Federal Government has recently initiated steps to amend the IRSA Act through an Ordinance, allegedly to grant itself the power to directly appoint the IRSA Chairman. The move has already drawn sharp rebuke from the Sindh government and now the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has also expressed reservations about the one-sided nature of the amendments.
