ISLAMABAD: Water sharing conflict between Sindh and Punjab is likely to aggravate as federal bureaucracy associated with ministry of water resources, has finalized the name of Asjad Imtiaz Ali, a retired bureaucrat from Punjab for the vacant post of member federal in the Indus River System Authority (IRSA).
Indus River System Authority (IRSA), established in 1992 regulates and monitors distribution of water resources among provinces in accordance with Water Appropriation Accord (WAA) of 1991.
IRSA comprises five members-a representative of each province and one member representing federal government. These members are appointed for a three year period. Chairmanship of authority is rotated in alphabetic descending order.
The post of federal representative at IRSA remained vacant since April 2010, because of differences between Sindh and Punjab provinces on unresolved water sharing conflict.
The ministry of water resources, led by federal minister Faisal Vawda on 30th September 2019 conducted interviews to fill the vacant post.
The interviewer panel included federal minister, federal secretary Muhammad Ashraf and a grade-20 officer Syed Maher Ali Shah.
The short-listed four candidates included three retired officers Asjad Imtiaz Ali former chairman Federal Flood Commission (FFC), Javaid Iqbal Bukhari engineering advisor FFC, Saqib Zafar a former general manager Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and one serving officer, Shahid Hameed chief engineer WAPDA.
Interestingly, the entire lot of shortlisted candidates belonged to Punjab province. The bureaucracy associated with ministry of water resources brushing aside legal right of appointment of member federal from Sindh province. It did not include any candidate from Sindh even for an interview despite written reminder by Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah in a letter to Prime Minister.
When Sindh and Balochistan were facing severe drought during 1999 to 2002, then chief executive of the country, military ruler Gen ® Pervaiz Musharf decided that member federal IRSA would be coming from Sindh in future.
Sindh governemt claims that Musharraf’s decision was given legal cover and it was made part of Legal Framework Order (LFO) which was adopted by the parliament after 2002 general elections.
The WAA of 91 allows chairman FFC to act as adhoc member federal at IRSA in the absence of permanent member federal on temporary basis till appointment of permanent member.
The last permanent federal member IRSA Bashir Ahmed Dhair retired in year 2010. After his retirement chairman FFC Asjad Imtiaz Ali worked as member federal IRSA on adhoc basis, till his retirement on 29 April 2017.
Some senior bureaucrats on condition of anonymity shared with ‘The News Today’ details of controversy revolving around the appointment on vacant post of member federal in IRSA.
They claimed that former bureaucrat Asjad Imtiaz Ali had started lobbying for the lucrative office even before his retirement as chairman FFC. He used his connections with federal secretaries and some political elite, they claimed.
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A senior IRSA official claimed that ministry of water resources already suffered embarrassment when office of Prime Minister had rejected its summary with single name of Asjad Imtiaz Ali for vacant post in IRSA. PM office had directed the ministry to resend summary with a list candidates’ having at-least three names.
On the intervention of Prime Minister’s office, ministry of water resources had to shortlist candidates and conduct interviews. After interviews it has finalized Asjad Imtiaz Ali as new member federal IRSA.
Source said summary for his appointment has been sent to PM office, however Sindh province has once again rejected the entire exercise carried out by the ministry. It has approached Prime Minister’s office to record protest, sources maintained.
