ISLAMABAD: The government and opposition in the National Assembly on Monday reached a consensus on moving towards construction of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams avoiding discussion on the disputed water reservoirs.
During the House proceedings, PTI parliamentarian Makhdoom Syed Samiul Hassan Gillani moved a resolution urging the government to take steps for construction of new dams. The opposition members objected to the wording of the resolution asking the government to name the dams.
The resolution was passed by majority voice vote. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry regretted that the opposition was opposing the construction of dams at a time when the country was in dire need of major water reservoirs.
However, PPP MNA Nawab Muhammad Yousuf said they were not opposed to construction of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams but three out of four provincial assemblies had already opposed the construction of Kalabagh Dam.
“We will support the government if it moves ahead with construction of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams,” he said. PML-N MNA Khawaja Muhammad Asif, who was minister for water and power in the last PML-N government, said issues like Kalabagh Dam on which there was dispute among the provinces should not be revived or discussed again.
He supported construction of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams. “Collecting funds for construction of dams is a positive step. The matter of construction of dams should not be politicised,” he added.
Asif said the water policy which was signed by all four provinces in April 2018 included the construction of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams. "The agreement clarifies everything about the dam," he added. He recalled the Water Policy which was signed in April, 2018 by the federal government and the provinces also supported construction of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams. Asif said the PML-N government had spent Rs122 billion on acquisition of land for Diamer-Bhasha, while Rs23 billion was kept in the budget for the ongoing fiscal year.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the country was facing a major crisis of water and energy shortage. “The country will plunge into darkness if new water reservoirs are not made. There is no confusion about construction of dams. All the four provinces had signed an agreement in 1991 in this regard and we accept that as well as the agreement mentioned by Khawaja Asif,” he added.
Qureshi said for the first time the chief justice of Pakistan and prime minister had sought the nation’s help and the nation was extending support on this matter. “Pakistan’s future is linked to construction of dams and without them its future would be bleak,” he added.
