ISLAMABAD: The construction of Kalabagh Dam will add $25 billion to the GDP through agriculture and energy sectors.
The Pakistan’s future is linked with the construction of Kalabagh Dam as it will equally benefit all the four federating units and will bring about food, energy and water security in the country.
This was the crux of speeches made at a seminar organized by the PML-Q to remove misconceptions about this project of vital national interest here.
PML-Q Central leader Ch Pervaiz Elahi was chief guest while experts from various fields highlighted enormous benefits of the project for all the four provinces of the country.
During the seminar a resolution was adopted unanimously, stating that without water security all attempts to ensure food, energy, irrigation water security would remain a dream and govt must take concrete steps to ensure water security to save future of the nation.
The resolution pointed out that the construction of Kalabagh Dam will add $25 billion to the GDP through agriculture and energy sectors.
Speaking on the occasion, Ch Pervaiz Elahi said that if someone had objection to the name of Kalabagh Dam, it could be renamed as Pakistan Dam.
He said that the construction of the dam would bring revolution in the lives of poor people of all the four provinces. With the construction of the dam, people will would get cheaper electricity, it would bring revolution in agriculture sector and would help bring large area of land in all the four provinces under cultivation.
He said that the electricity which is being provided to people on Rs 18 per unit would be provided to them on Rs 2.5 per unit after the construction of the dam.
Grilling the PML-N government for following IMF and other donor agencies, Mr Elahi said that they had shunted out the IMF and had broken the begging bowl but the rulers due to their poor economic policies have once again subjugated the whole nation to these international donor agencies.
He said that those who were making tall claims of bringing an end to loadshedding have broken all the records of price-hike and made the poor people to pay the exorbitant utility bills with power rates shooting up to Rs 18 and 20 which were between Rs 3 to 5 during their government.
He charged that all this is being done on the dictates of the IMF to secure fresh loans to run the governmental affairs.
Addressing on the occasion, the speakers including former Wapda chairman Shamsul Mulk, renowned economist and former Finance Minister Salman Shah, Senator Saeedul Hassan Mandokhel and others highlighted the project of vital national importance.
Other who spoke on the occasion included Nisar Safdar, Zafar Bakhtawari, Khaliq Mohmandullah, Abdul Rahim Baloch, Col (r) Abdul Razaq Bugti, Rizwan Ali and Muhammad Suleman.
Admitting the difference of opinion one of the trait of democracy, these speakers said that but for the sake of difference the projects of national importance could not be abandoned and criticised the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) for not taking bold stand on this project of vital national importance just to save their rule.
Experts said that the construction of dam would help save around 40 million acre feet of water going down in sea every year and in this way besides generating power Sindh would get an additional four million acre feet, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 2.2 million acre feet, Balochistan 1.5 million acre feet while Punjab would get 2 million acre feet additional water for irrigation which could bring green revolution in the country.
