Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab has demanded construction of Kalabagh Dam on river Indus and said projects of national survival and economic benefits do not need consensus among the provinces. Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab, Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar said here on Monday.
"If no national consensus was needed for making atom bombs or for that matter for creation of an independent state for the Muslims of the subcontinent, then why is it necessary to achieve a national consensus on construction of the Kalabagh dam on which Pakistan's economic and social stability depends.
He said the plan for construction of Kalabagh dam was initiated by late Prime Minister and Chairman PPP, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and billions of rupees were spent on the feasibility report of the dam, purchase of machinery and construction of a residential colony for the engineers, technicians and workers for execution of the project.
Dr Akhtar said that the present leaders and office bearers of PPP-led federal and provincial governments of Sindh, KP and Balochistan governments who claim to be followers of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto were opposing construction of the dam.
He said Pakistan needed more water to keep up with the growing population and industrial demands on its agriculture. The proposed Kalabagh dam would have capacity to produce 6,000MW electricity, which would cost only 80 paisa per unit. Since it was in the Indian interest that this dam was not built, therefore it was spending billions of rupees to stop its construction through propaganda.
He said KBD could provide irrigation water to 7 million additional acres of land and open gateway for employment, industrial progress by providing cheep electricity. The JI leader regretted that Pakistan has not constructed any dam after Mangla and Tarbela dams on river Jhelum and Indus respectively whereas India has constructed dozens of dams on our rivers in the Indian occupied Kashmir.