PPP and PTI leaders made Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Prime Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Tuesday, conditionally supporting the construction of the Kalabagh dam, noting that three provincial assemblies had adopted resolutions that opposed the project in the past.
Gandapur said a day before projects such as the construction of the Kalabagh dam were necessary for the “good of the future generation”, but also added that before such initiatives, the reserves of all interested parties should be addressed, including the provinces. Duplicating his comments, today, he said that the very important national project was being arrested due to politics.
“Not building the Kalabagh dam is unfair to the country and for the future of our children,” he said. Gandapur explained that the dam would be good not only for Punjab, but also for Sindh and KP. He called that all parties speak together and find a solution.
In reaction to his comments, the president of PPP Sindh, Nisar Khuhro, said that the construction of the Kalabah dam was not just a problem for the PPP and that the assemblies of Sindh, KP and Baluchistan had approved resolutions in the past.
“This is not just about the PPP, but about the entire province. Maybe Ali Amin Sahib He is not aware of this story or perhaps it was not [active] In politics at that time, ”he added. Khuhro said that Sindhis considered the waters of the Indo his vital blood and any mention of Kalabagh caused denial.
He said that CM Gandapur should be questioned why the PTI government did not accelerate and completed the Bhasha dam and other similar projects.
PTI leader, Asad Qaiser, also minimized Gandapur’s support as his “personal opinion” and not the party’s policy in a publication about 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 it is not good to unnecessarily cause controversial problems.”
The National Awami (ANP) and Jamiat Ulema-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party also rejected Gandapur’s comments.
The ANP chief, Aimal Wali Khan, declared that the Kalabagh dam was not a solution for recurring floods in the country.
Jui-F KP spokesman Abdul Jalil Jan, described the project as a “dead horse” and interrogated CM Gandapur about his previous claim to build 350 dams.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Communications, Abdul Aleem Khan, welcomed the proposal of CM Gandapur, emphasizing that Kalabagh, along with new dams, must be built with the consensus and consultation of all provinces.
He affirmed that the four provincial assemblies and the main ministers must jointly find a solution to this pressing national problem.
Appreciating Gandapur’s support for the Kalabagh dam, he said that the construction of new dams was vital to safeguard against future shortage of water and natural disasters, as well as floods.
He said the new dams would help prevent billions of water rupees from being wasted. “Floods are no longer the problem of a single province; it has become a challenge for the whole country,” he added.
The minister stressed that Pakistan as a whole faced the adverse impacts of climate change, while the recent torrential rains in Gilgit-Baltistan, KP and Punjab had caused a massive loss of lives and properties.
He stressed that the immediate construction of small dams in the four provinces had become inevitable and must be urgently followed.
The minister also said that the construction of small dams required a national collective effort and a framework of comprehensive policy nationwide, since fragmented approaches could not solve such critical national challenges.
