30-12-05

Opposition to call NA session on Kalabagh, other issues 

ISLAMABAD: Combined Opposition has decided to submit a requisition for the National Assembly session to discuss Kalabagh dam, Balochistan situation and the oil prices and 144 members have signed the requisition. 

A meeting of the opposition parties leaders was held at the residence of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday attended by Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Mian Raza Rabbani, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Raja Zafarul Haq, Imran Khan and others.   

Talking with Geo News correspondent Asima Shirazi, Secretary General of ARD Zafar Iqbal Jhagra told that the opposition leaders have decided to submit a requisition for the National Assembly session to discuss Kalabagh dam, Balochistan situation and the oil prices issues.  

The meeting has also decided to hold an opposition parties meeting after the Eid to discuss on launching a protest drive over the Kalabagh dam and other issues. The opposition observed that the parliament was not being taken into confidence over the key national issues and an effort being made to divide the nation.  

The opposition leaders decided to hold a protest demo in front of the parliament house on Senate members balloting on January 2. Other opposition parties will also participate in the protest.

SA unanimously passes motion for debate on Kalabagh dam   

KARACHI: Sindh Assembly Friday unanimously passed an adjournment motion for debate on the Kalabagh dam issue. 

Ten opposition members presented an adjournment motion in the house for debate on the Kalabagh dam issue, which was unanimously passed for debate on January 19.  

Assembly members from Muttahida Majalis Amal (MMA) earlier staged token walkout from the session to register protest against rustication of foreign students from seminaries and deletion of prayers chapter from Islamiyat course. 

Provincial legislature session adjourned to meet on January 19.

No funding request received for water reservoirs: WB

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has said that no funding request from the government of Pakistan has been received for the Kalabagh dam or some other water project. 

The World Bank’s Acting country director Abid Hassan was addressing the anti-Kalabagh dam demonstrators before the WB and Asian Development Bank (ADB) offices in Islamabad. 

He said the World Bank would not sanction funding without thorough appraisal of the Kalabagh dam project according to the international standards. 

ADB official Tahir Khan advised the protesters to submit their complaints in written with the bank about the Kalabagh dam and other large water projects.

The demonstrators were demanding the World Bank, ADB and other international funding institutions to avoid funding to disputed large water projects. 

Silence on dam’s amounts to treason; Musharraf 

LAHORE: President Pervez Musharraf has said that turning back or Silence on dams amounts to treason as big water reservoirs were must for Pakistan’s survival. All provinces have given him full authority in written for NFC award. He also said that uniform was a necessity of the time. 

Addressing a luncheon hosted by the Council of Pakistan Newspapers’ Editors (CPNE) here on Thursday, the president also hinted at involvement of foreign hand in the ongoing tribal insurgency in Balochistan. He said he favoured a negotiated political solution to the issue. However, he made it clear that no one would be allowed to make the country hostage.

Musharraf made it clear that the government would soon start work on any of the three dam projects. He said turning back on the issue amounted to treason, and he just couldn’t ignore the significance attached to it. He maintained that despite being at a loss politically, he would pursue the issue against all odds as it was lifeblood for Pakistan’s economy in the decades to come. "I could have simply slept over the issue like the successive governments. But I could not as it amounted to treason on anyone’s part. 

It is suicidal for the country if dams are not constructed in immediate future," he added.
He said the construction of two or three dams was imperative before 2016 as the country would face power deficit from next year. He said more and cheap power was needed for making the industrial sector viable so it could compete in the international market.

Similarly, the president added that 70 per cent of the Pakistan’s population was engaged in the agri sector. The mounting water shortage would deal a blow to this sector, which was the backbone of the country’s economy. The farmer of this country would suffer if the decision on the construction of dams would be delayed as the silting of the existing dams would halve the combined utility of Tarbela and Mangla dams by 2010.

Moreover, the country’s economy would go nowhere in 15-20 years’ time if new sources of power and water were not tapped. He said the decision on the issue was in the offing, and the timing was being considered. That is, whether it should be made before or after the general elections in 2007.

Talking about the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, the president said the chief ministers of all the four provinces had empowered him in writing to take a decision on the award. "I have been empowered and will decide the matter soon," said the president. He said the federal government had already been allocating more resources to smaller provinces with Balochistan bagging the most.
Asked when he would doff the uniform, President Musharraf said he had the legal amnesty to this effect till 2007. 

He said there was no urgency. "We will talk about it in 2007," he responded candidly. He went on to explain why the uniform was necessary at this point in time, saying it helped in establishing a smooth chain of command over all the institutions, especially the armed forces. He said, "Had I not been in the uniform the ongoing action in Balochistan, the relief operation in the earthquake-hit zone and the work on the Sukkur barrage would not have gone so smoothly." 

No dispute on Bhasha dam

ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on Water Resources (PCWR) on Thursday unveiled its report in the Senate envisaging consensus among provinces on construction of big water reservoirs.

The report indicated that there was no dispute among the provinces while preferring the Bhasha dam but the Punjab wants construction of the Kalabagh and Bhasha dams simultaneously.

The chairman of the committee, Senator Nisar Memon, presented the report in the Senate amid the opposition protest on the technical points with regard to constitution of the committee.

The committee, constituted by the National Assembly speaker in October 2003, started its work in November 2003 and closed deliberations on August 2004 with signing of the report by all members. The interim report was presented to the prime minister in September last year.

Senator Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, Senator Mir Muhammad Naseer Mengal, Senator Syed Dilawar Abbas, Abdul Qadir Jamaluddin, Jehangir Tareen, Haji Muhammad Ali Malkani and Sher Akbar Khan were members of the committee.

Leader of the opposition in Senate Mian Raza Rabbani raised the technical question on constitution of the committee saying the speaker could not constitute a committee from both Houses of parliament. "The committee consists of only members from the ruling party and it could not be termed as the parliamentary committee," he added.

However, leader of the House in the Senate Wasim Sajjad said the House is sovereign and it could constitute any committee through a resolution and technicalities could not come in way of the House when the rules were silent on any particular issue.

Meanwhile, the Memon report stated that the three chief ministers have endorsed preference to the Bhasha dam while opposing the Kalabagh dam, whereas Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi suggested construction of both the dams. It pointed out that chief minister of the four provinces had also endorsed the 1991 Water Accord and showed consensus on construction of reservoirs according to the provincial development plans.

The report recommended that all decisions be implemented with consensus and wherever consensus has so far been evolved, it should be immediately implemented to create environment of confidence and move forward for consensus on bigger issues. It recommended that 1991 Water Accord be urgently implemented to help settle the longstanding issue through an executive decision based on the Technical Committee report or through a decision of the National Security Council or Council of Common Interests.

The report also recommended that provincial priority projects and small reservoirs are supported costing Rs 8.1 billion in the first year and large dams should be built but with consensus. It said that at a meeting of the PCWR on July 28, 2004, the members held divergent views on the dam sites, as all members agreed on the Bhasha dam but members from the Punjab wanted construction of the Bhasha and Kalabagh dams simultaneously. The report said the members from Sindh and the NWFP opposed the Kalabagh dam while member from Balochistan would go with consensus of other three provinces and no chief minister had objection on the Bhasha dam.

The report also stated that consensus was evolved in December 2003 for instituting three studies on minimal water flow below Kotri to check seawater intrusion, to address environmental concerns and study on environmental concerns in all other areas of the country. It stated that the country’s existing reservoirs—Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma—were silting up and to date some 3.58 million acre feet (MAF) of water or 23 per cent of the combined capacity had been lost and it had been projected that by 2010, the combined storage loss would increase to 5.1 MAF (32 per cent).

The report said the present status of the four prospective large reservoirs is that the feasibility study of the Akhori dam was expected by August 2005, the Bhasha dam had been declared technically feasible by Wapda consultants and construction could start in 2007 to be completed by 2014, feasibility study on the Kalabagh dam had already been completed and the project was declared technically feasible and construction if started in 2005 could be completed by 2011 while the feasibility of the Skardu/Katzara dam was expected to be completed by September 2005.

The report also recommended revamping of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa). It recommended the government to evolve consensus among provinces on particular dam through executive decisions or a comprehensive debate on the subject to be launched by chief ministers in their respective provinces and developing understanding with the federal government, debate in parliament, national debate in the media and review of the national debate by the cabinet for an executive decision, decision in the National Security Council or refer the matter to Council of Common Interests for a decision.

Meanwhile, not only the opposition in the Senate was united against the Kalabagh dam, dissenting voice also echoed from a member party of the ruling coalition—Muttahida Qaumi Movement—as it announced not to go against wishes of Sindhi people on this particular issue. Although the treasury members raised voice in favour of the Kalabagh dam, senior parliamentarian S M Zafar adopted a middle way while suggesting the government to find a constitutional way to resolve the issue.

Taking part in debate, Senator S M Zafar suggested the government to refer the issue to the Council of Common Interests to get the water accord of 1991 approved from the province paving the way for constructing dams. "In any case if they violate the constitution, they (federation and provinces) shall have to go to the Supreme Court of Pakistan for remedy under Article 154," he said.

The ruling party senator said the technical matter of Kalabagh dam was turned into a political issue, which could be resolved through political dialogue but the problem arose when constitution was violated. "Twice the Constitution was suspended and twice abrogated but at the same time India is following only one constitution since independence," he added.

Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmed of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) criticised President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for not consulting the opposition and other stakeholders before taking an important decision. He asked why the decision was being taken in haste. "The Kalabagh dam is fast becoming threat to the federation of Pakistan," he said, terming it a "logically terrible" project.

The MMA senator said all the four provinces had consensus on Bhasha dam and work should be started on that project without any further delay setting aside construction of Kalabagh dam. "It has turned to be ‘Kala Nag’ for the federation and we must avoid it," he said.

Senator Khawaja Akbar of the Pakistan People’s Party-Parliamentarians (PPPP) said that without trust the country could not flourish and trust has been at the very heart of Kalabagh dam controversy. "If we can develop that trust, honour our values and adhere to the rule of law, we can build a Pakistan that is stronger, safer and secure."

MQM Senator Abida Saif in her speech also rejected Kalabagh dam saying the government should stay away from creating rift among the provinces. "The Muttahida policy on this issue is very clear and we have announced that we would not accept any decision against the aspirations and wishes of people of Sindh and resolutions of Sindh Assembly," she added.

Senator Abdullah Riar of PPPP termed Kalabagh dam as conspiracy against the federation and termed Wapda as a "subsidiary of the Punjab" only protecting the rights of Punjab. "Sindh did not have confidence in Wapda," he said, adding that the federal government must provide autonomy and equitable National Finance Commission award to provinces and instead of going for a dam must build a barrage.

Earlier, the reversal of Senate Committee on Defence decision to cancel the deal for purchase of two VVIP planes also echoed in the Senate as a member of the committee, Naeem Hussain Chattha, said the committee in its last meeting gave a go-ahead signal to the purchase of two VVIP planes and SAAB surveillance aircraft.

Thousands attend anti-KBD rally

PESHAWAR: Thousands of ANP workers and activists of other political and religious parties gathered at Jehangira, Nowshera district, on Thursday to reiterate their opposition to the construction of Kalabagh dam amid warnings that imposing the controversial project on the people in disregard to the resolutions of three provincial assemblies would harm the federation.

Traffic on the main Peshawar-Rawalpindi highway remained suspended for the whole day, as police on both sides of the Attock bridge, linking the NWFP with the Punjab, had laid barricades. The entire venue of the public meeting was decorated with flags of various parties, including ANP, PPPP, PKMAP, JUI-F and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, and huge banners were displayed all around inscribed with anti-Kalabagh dam slogans and asking the rulers to scrap the project, which is opposed by the NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan.

Excluding the PML and PML-N, the rally was attended by leaders of all parties from the NWFP and the nationalists from Sindh and Balochistan. This was for the first time that ANP female activists also attended a public meeting, which was addressed by the party President, Senator Asfandyar Wali Khan, PPPP’s provincial president, Rahim Dad Khan, Muhammad Afzal Khan, president Pakhtunkhwa Qaumi Party, Mian Muzafar Shah of PPP (Sherpao), Senator Gul Naseeb Khan of JUI-F, Usman advocate MNA of Jamaat-i-Islami, Mukhtiar Khan Yusufzai of PMAP, Akbar Khan of Tehrik-i-Insaf, Senator Sanaullah Baloch of Balochsitan National Movement, Abdul Hai Baloch of Balochistan National Party and Abdul Qadar Ranto, general secretary of Sindh Awami Tehrik. ANP veteran, Ajmal Khattak, Begum Nasim Wali Khan, Maulana Attaur Rehman MNA and others also attended the public meeting.

Asfandiar Wali Khan in his speech repeated the threats and asked his party’s MPAs and Senators to tender resignations in protest in case President Pervez Musharraf announced the construction of the dam without evolving a consensus.

"This is a fight for the survival of the Pakhtuns, the Sindhis and the Balochs. We will not rest till Musharraf is compelled to scarp the project," he announced at the public meeting adding that his party believed that Pakistan and Kalabagh dam could not go together. "If the Pakhtuns, the Sindhis and the Balochs are not recognised and no body cares for their rights, it will be difficult to run Pakistan and keep the federation intact," the ANP chief said.

He also warned that showing disregard to the unanimous resolutions passed by three provincial assemblies against the Kalabagh dam would bring nothing but harm to the federation. "If the resolutions of the three assemblies are not respected, there might be some elements emerging from these provinces who can say they will not respect the ‘Lahore Resolution,’" Asfandyar said.

He blamed Musharraf for the situation and said the president was pitching the Punjab against rest of the country and warned that the end result of such a policy would not be different from the one which caused division of the country in 1971. "We accept the Punjab as one of the federating units, but will not tolerate it to assume the role of commanding the federation," he said.

Rahim Dad Khan said that the Kalabagh dam project was detrimental to the unity and solidarity of Pakistan and his party has been opposing it from day one. He said that in no circumstances, his party would support the controversial project and claimed that his party workers and leaders from all over the country including Punjab were against the construction of this dam.

Similar were the views and remarks of leaders of all the parties taking part in the rally. The Baloch and Sindhi nationalists opposed the construction of the dam at the behest of Punjab and warned that imposing any anti-people decision would be against the interest of the federation.

They also opposed military operations in Balochistan and condemned, what they claimed, bombardment of villages and houses of innocent people in Kohlu. A resolution asking the federal government to put an end to the military operation in Balochistan was also passed at the meeting, as all the nationalists, democratic and religious parties announced to join hands against the military rule in the country.

Through a resolution, the meeting strongly opposed the Kalabagh dam amid apprehensions that with the construction of such controversial hydropower projects the fertile land of the NWFP would be submerged besides receiving huge damages in shape of water logging. Similarly, major portion of Sindh and some parts of Bolochistan would also be turned into desert. However, some elements in the Punjab want to bulldoze the opinion of the three provinces and launch work on the project just to get water for their lands located in the Cholistan desert, it added.

The resolution urged upon the entire nationalist and progressive political parties and people from all walks of life to come forward and oppose the Kalabagh dam, which it called a project of national disintegration. It further made it clear that the smaller provinces had opposed the project and would never allow anyone to carry out work on it at any cost.

New dams to be discussed openly

CHAKWAL: Federal Minister for Environment Major (Retd) Tahir Iqbal said the issue of big dams' construction would be discussed not only in public but also in the parliament. 

Talking to reporters here Thursday, he stated the reservations of the provinces would be removed regarding the new dams. The minister was confident that the people would support construction of Kala Bagh dam as it would bring about agricultural and industrial revolution in the country. 

He said the opposition political parties should not exploit the issue for their political gains. He said new dams would save a huge quantity of water that was wasted.