Former Punjab chief minister, Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar, has urged President Pervez Musharraf to shelve the Kalabagh Dam (KBD) issue in order to put an end to the increasing polarisation among provinces and let the political leadership decide its fate.
'If the President tried to start this project by force, no donor agency will be ready for its funding', he said, while addressing a news conference at Lahore Press Club (LPC) on Saturday.
The construction of KBD without consensus of the provinces will jeopardise federation, he said, and added, the issue should not be abandoned, as it will be equally dangerous for the federation.
"What I say is that this is not the appropriate time for starting the much controversial project, as it will increase hatred among the provinces. So the President should shelve the project at this stage and focus on national reconciliation. He said that he knew the importance of the project, as in his view it was as significant as the Kashmir dispute or Pakistan's nuclear issue. "I am in favour of construction of this dam, but not at the cost of federation," he observed.
Khar claimed that when he was federal minister for water and power he had held successful negotiations with the provinces on the issue of KBD, but the then government was toppled. At that time, he had faced resistance from within his own party and even from Benazir Bhutto. Had its construction started in the tenure of Ayub Khan or Z.A. Bhutto the then governments would not have faced much resistance. He also admitted that during the regime of Z.A. Bhutto the significance of the project was not properly realised.
The former chief minister said, during his recent visit to Sindh, he realised that there was much hatred there against Punjab on the issue of Kalabagh Dam. To a question he said President Musharraf stands isolated on the KBD issue and except Sheikh Rashid nobody is with him. He also pointed that the statement of Sheikh Rashid is adding fuel to fire and now three provinces are preparing to form a new alliance against Punjab.
Khar also urged President to withdraw all NAB cases against politicians and also allow the exiled political leadership to return home.
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