PPP and PTI leaders took exception on Tuesday to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur conditionally backing the construction of Kalabagh Dam, pointing out that three provincial assemblies had adopted resolutions opposing the project in the past.
Gandapur said a day earlier that projects like the construction of Kalabagh Dam were necessary for the “sake of the future generation”, but also added that prior to such initiatives, reservations of all stakeholders, including provinces, should be addressed. Doubling down on his comments, today, he said that the very important national project was being stopped because of politics.
“Not building the Kalabagh Dam is unfair to the country and to our children’s future,” he said. Gandapur explained that the dam would be good for not just Punjab, but also for Sindh and KP. He called for all parties to talk together and find a solution.
Reacting to his remarks, PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro said that Kalabagh Dam’s construction was not just an issue for the PPP and that the Sindh, KP and Balochistan assemblies had passed resolutions against it in the past.
“This is not just about the PPP, but the entire province. Maybe Ali Amin sahib is unaware of this history or maybe he was not [active] in politics back then,” he added. Khuhro said Sindhis considered the waters of the Indus their lifeblood and any mention of Kalabagh elicited negation.
He said CM Gandapur should be questioned why the PTI government did not fast-track and complete the Bhasha dam and other such projects
PTI leader Asad Qaiser also downplayed Gandapur’s support as his “personal opinion” and not the party’s policy in a post on X.
“We do not believe that there is any need for Kalabagh Dam at this time. At this time, smaller dams can also be built … I think that it is not good to unnecessarily stir up controversial issues.”
The Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) also rejected Gandapur’s remarks.
ANP chief Aimal Wali Khan stated that the Kalabagh Dam was not a solution to recurring floods in the country.
JUI-F KP spokesperson Abdul Jalil Jan termed the project a “dead horse” and questioned CM Gandapur about his earlier claim of constructing 350 dams.
Meanwhile, Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan welcomed CM Gandapur’s proposal, emphasising that Kalabagh, along with other new dams, should be built with the consensus and consultation of all provinces.
He asserted that all four provincial assemblies and chief ministers must jointly find a solution to this pressing national issue.
Appreciating Gandapur’s support for the Kalabagh Dam, he noted that the construction of new dams was vital to safeguard against future water shortages and natural disasters as well as floods.
He stated that new dams would help to save trillions of rupees worth of water from going to waste. “Floods are no longer the issue of a single province; it has become a challenge for the entire country,” he added.
The minister highlighted that Pakistan as a whole was facing the adverse impacts of climate change, while the recent torrential rains in Gilgit-Baltistan, KP and Punjab had caused massive loss of lives and property.
He stressed that the immediate construction of small dams in all four provinces had become unavoidable and must be pursued on an urgent basis.
The minister further said that the construction of small dams required a collective national effort and a comprehensive policy framework at the national level, as fragmented approaches could not resolve such critical national challenges.
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