PTI Punjab ministers support Kalabagh Dam

LAHORE: Taking a bold stance on Kalabagh Dam on the contrary to the partyline, Provincial Minister Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din has demanded construction of KB Dam to protect country from the devastation caused by flood.

Besides, Raja Basharat, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs while speaking on the floor of PA demanded the federal government announce setting up of Kalabagh Dam and claimed that the nation would side by the Centre if it announced establishing KB Dam.

Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din, who is also a senior legislator who has served as MPA in 1988, 1993, 2002, 2008 and 2018, expressed these remarks while speaking on the floor of Punjab Assembly.

The PA legislators in the debate related to the calamity that has hit the country in form of massive flooding in all the four provinces also voiced serious concern over the losses. Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din, while speaking in the House said that KB Dam could accumulate millions of cusecs of water that; otherwise was wasted due to the absence of a big water reservoir. Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din also suggested that land must be given to the people whose houses had been devastated by the flood. He said the agricultural needs of the country could well be fulfilled if the dam was constructed.

It is pertinent to mention that the PTI leadership has taken a careful stance on

Kalabagh Dam as majority of its votebank belonged to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa which is a strong opponent of Kalabagh Dam. The statement of Chaudhry Zaheer is not likely to be welcomed by his own party. Another PTI legislator, Syed Yawar Abbas Bokhari in his speech said that parties like PPP and ANP had been the opponent of Kala Bagh Dam. He said those who had used a backdoor to come to power must tell the nation what they had done regarding the setting up of Dam. He added PTI had started construction on three dams. Yawar Bokhari, who hails from Attock, also demanded setting up of a committee regarding the building of dams and to save the rainwater.

Provincial Minister Raja Basharat while urging the PMLN-led coalition government in Centre to announce building Kalabagh Dam said these rulers must have some fear of God. He assured of his full support to the central government over Kalabagh Dam. He also told the House that all-out measures were being taken for the relief and rehabilitation of the flood affectees. Moreover, the PA also passed University of Kamalia Bill 2022 with majority vote. Speaker Sibtain Khan adjourned the session later.