Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab, Dr Waseem Akhtar has said construction of Kalabagh dam is inevitable for self-reliance and economic stability of the country, therefore, the government should strive to evolve a consensus among the provinces to immediately start the construction work.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, Akhtar said that Kalabagh dam on river Indus has been politicised since 1985, whereas under the 1960 Indus Basin Water Treaty construction of the Kalabagh dam and Diamir Bhasha dam should have been completed by 1990.
He said it is a misfortune that these two essential dams have been politicised, though these dams are vital for the country's survival due to fast depleting water resources and growing energy needs. Akhtar was of the opinion that there would be no danger to Nowshera city by the Kalabagh dam. However, if there was a technical need of a minor change in the design of the dam, it does not mean that the entire project should be shelved.
JI leader said India as well as European countries do not want to see Pakistan as a prosper and politically stable country, though it is a fact that there cannot be any positive change on the national economic horizon without construction of the KBD. He said the dam would create a reservoir of 6.1 million acres feet (MAF) water which would bring 6 to 7 million acres more land under cultivation.