The government on Thursday withdrew a notification appointing a former federal secretary as chairman of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) after strong opposition from the PPP, a provincial lawmaker said.
According to a picture of the notification shared by Sindh MPA Maleeha Manzoor on X, the orders for the Irsa chairman’s appointment were to be “treated as withdrawn”.
A day earlier, the premier had appointed Zafar Mahmood — a retired BS-22 federal government officer — as the Irsa chairman, causing much uproar in yesterday’s National Assembly session.
PPP MNA Syed Naveed Qamar had declared the PM’s act of appointing the Irsa chairman “very serious, illegal and unconstitutional”, urging the government to immediately withdraw the appointment notification.
The Awami Tehreek, Grand Democratic Alliance, Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party and Jeay Sindh Mahaz-Riaz also strongly opposed the appointment, terming it unconstitutional, illegal and immoral.
Earlier today, in a telephonic conversation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah of the notification’s withdrawal, according to Sindh CM spokesperson Rasheed Channa.
According to Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, CM Shah made it a point to note that Irsa’s chairman will be appointed from a rotation of members of the provincial cabinets, as per the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
He further noted that the PM had “accepted the stance” of the Sindh CM and the provincial irrigation department.
Speaking to reporters in Karachi, CM Shah said, “The whole purpose of Irsa was that there would be no influence of the Federation in this regard.”
He referenced an ordinance that had been introduced during the caretaker government’s tenure, in which it was amended that a representative of the Federation will be a member of Irsa.
The Sindh CM highlighted that the provincial cabinet had strictly opposed this amendment.
