JI urged to avoid politics over KBD

LAHORE
JAMAAT-e-Islami leadership came under criticism in Punjab Assembly for playing a double game over Kalabagh Dam after its parliamentary leader Dr Wasim Akhter took up the controversial issue during question hour session.
‘There is no second opinion regarding the Kalabagh Dam here, but why not the JI Ameer Siraj-ul-Haq, who is also the senior minister in KP, tables a resolution in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’ said Aleem Shah, a PML-N legislator who hails from Dera Ghazi Khan while commenting over the remarks of Dr Wasim Akhter in support of Kalabagh Dam.
The PA session, which started with a delay of over one hour with Deputy Speaker Sher Ali Gorchani in chair, conducted the question hour session related with Irrigation Department. In the absence of Mian Yawar Zaman, the minister concerned, Parliamentary Secretary for Irrigation Khalid Mehmood Jajja, who belongs to Bahawalpur, answered to the queries.
Dr Wasim Akhter in a question asked the department concerned whether the government had any plan to move a motion over Council of Common Interests decision for not taking up the KBD issue. Responding to it, Khalid Mehmood Jajja said that time and again, the Punjab government had stressed centre to consider the project but since 1998, it was yet to receive a go-ahead in Council for Common Interest.
He said that like past, efforts would also be made again to remove apprehensions of other federating units regarding the Dam and develop an atmosphere of harmony among the provinces over the issue. However, expressing dissatisfaction with the answer, Dr Wasim Akhter urged the parliamentary secretary to inform the House whether there existed any committee over the KBD issue.
Responding to it, Khalid Mehmood Jajja stated that a lot should have been said in its support in past when the country was ruled by a dictator but JI was extending support to it rather than safeguarding national interest. He said Dr Wasim Akhter was also the provincial Ameer of JI and he should also take up the matter before his party which was in coalition in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Jajja said ‘there is no difference of opinion’ over the KBD in Punjab. Dr Wasim Akhter in response to it urged the Punjab government to show seriousness over this issue which was of paramount importance and deserved attention. Aleem Shah, the PML-N legislator while responding to the remarks of Dr Wasim Akhter stated that in 2004, while he was serving MPA like Dr Wasim, he gave a formula on the floor of the assembly regarding Kalabagh Dam which invited a huge criticism on him from the members of Sindh Assembly which through a resolution declared him ‘Wajibul Qatl’ for his thesis over KBD.
He stated that JI leadership, which was any ally of PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, should lead from the front rather than doing for point scoring if it was sincere over Kalabagh Dam construction. ‘If JI moves a resolution in KP Assembly in support of Kalabagh Dam, it will find Punjab a step forward than itself over the issue’ said Aleem Shah.
Moreover, the PA was informed that total number of rest houses owned or administered by Irrigation Department was 435, out of which, 55 belonged to Lahore, 85 to Multan, 87 to Bahawalpur, 105 to Sargodha, 64 to Faisalabad and 30 to DG Khan Irrigation Zone.
Dr Wasim Akhter suggested that most of the rest houses were constructed in the British era and those causing extra burden on exchequer should be auctioned, adding the amount received from the auction should be spent over the improvement of irrigation system.
Mian Rafique, a PML-N legislator from Toba Tek Singh raised objection to the suggestion by the questioner and stated that rest houses were set up by Britishers to facilitate the growers. The need of the hour was to facilitate the farmer rather than reducing the number of rest houses, said Mohammad Rafique. The House was also informed that number of drainage pipes pouring waste in Lahore canal had reduced to nine from 30. It was told that rest nine pipes would also be removed in future.
Meanwhile, the PPP candidate for Senate general seat Nadim Afzal Chan visited PA and called on party members as well as allies. The Senate elections are scheduled to take place today (Thursday), in
which PPP is contesting for a general, technocrat and woman seat.
The total strength of PPP, PML-Q and three independent members, including Nasarullah Dareshak, Ehsan Riaz Fatyana and Ali Salman Siddique, the candidate on general seat has a chance of getting around 20 votes, which, however, are far
lesser to clinch victory.
A candidate on general seat at least needs 45 votes for victory and chances of PML-N to make a clean sweep from Punjab seem higher. On the other hand, the PPP camp believes that its candidate may appear as a dark horse and likely to cause disturbance due to the support of a number of disgruntled MPAs of PML-N who are not willing to vote as per the party line.