Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday afternoon withdrew a notification that he had issued a day earlier to appoint a new chairman to head the Indus River System Authority (IRSA).

The prime minister earlier in the day took notice of the sharp criticism that his move had drawn from PPP and the Sindh government.

The post of the Authority’s chairman is supposed to be rotated between provinces. However, the Shehbaz government used an ordinance to appoint, Zafar Mahmood, a retired federal secretary to the post.

Under the new ordinance, the rotational policy will now work for the vice-chairman while the chairman appointed by the PM calls the shots.

Although Shehbaz Sharif withdrew the notification for the appointment of Zafar, there was no word on whether he will also withdraw the IRA ordinance 2024 which provided for the appointment.

The ordinance was first drafted by the caretaker government but was rejected by President Arif Alvi. Apparently, it was sent to the president again and became a law after designated days had passed.

According to Sindh Minister Jam Khan Shoro said on Thursday that the PM has assured the province’s chief minister that the notification of Mahmood’s appointment will be reversed.

The matter also echoed in the National Assembly on Wednesday, where Pakistan Peoples Party’s Naveed Qamar made a scathing attack against the government’s decision.

He said that the decision to appoint the chairman was illegal without consultation of the Council of Common Interests.

Qamar demanded that M Shehbaz should withdraw the appointment immediately.

“I would urge the government to immediately withdraw this order, to follow the laws and the constitution of this country, do not usurp the rights of the provinces and don’t destroy Pakistan as a federation,” he said.

Under the ordinance, the new chairman will have powers to run IRSA with his own independent team.