Dying Indus and Pakistan’s "Dam Trio"

After election 2018, Prime Minister, Chief Justice and Chief of Army Staff all are found on one page especially when it comes to implementation of decisions taken by any of them. It looks, this trio of chiefs is cordially connected with one another and backing each other’s stance. It’s a good gesture because it will strengthen democracy in the country. Strangely, Chief Justice declared that he will go extra miles to build the dams in a time when the newly elected government was in making. He didn’t only form a dam fund but also started collecting funds from all over the country. As the new government took control of the country, it joined hands of Chief Justice and started voicing for the same cause.

Recently in a TV address to the nation Prime Minster, requested overseas Pakistanis to contribute in the dam fund. In Pakistan, celebrities, corporations, nongovernmental institutions and government entities have contributed in the dam fund so far but this fund raising looks a forced collection of money rather than deliberately paying for the cause. Heads of such departments, without asking their employees have deducted their one day salary and the cheques of such collected money have been paid to Chief Justice. Chief Justice smiles, shakes hand with the person who submits the cheque and the happy moments are being captured in camera! As the new government was accordant to both the chiefs so finally it has taken the same course as of the chiefs and transformed the national level fund raising cum extortion initiative for dams into international level. Some days back, a deplorable act carried out by PTI held judiciary, which I think can never be called a fair verdict in any sense. PTI MPA Imran Shah, who slapped a person publically, was forgiven by the court as he agreed to pay Rs. 3 million for the dam’s fund. What’s going on in the country? Is this the standard of justice providers?

It looks every criminal has found his/her way out. As soon they submit money in the dam fund soon their all previous misconducts will be rubbed out from the book of wrongdoers. In Karachi, massage center owners, beauty parlor proprietors, drug suppliers and almost each and every one who owns any illegal business is taking part in the CJP fund raising campaign. Builders of land mafia, private hospital owners, private school owners, who have been plundering the money from the public for years, are in queue for the cause. Dam debate has spread in all over the country but the dam loving trio (three chiefs) who have been burning the midnight oil for building the dams hasn’t taken any suggestion from the water experts that whether the dams will be build or not? Will the dams fulfill the water needs or not if build? Will the sufficient water in national rivers be available for filling those dams? They are saying that water is being wasted in the country and this is the only justification and logic they have behind their intension to build the dams. The simple question is that where the water in the country is being wasted right now? No one is ready to give proof or answer this question. Sindh has its tail end of River Indus to proof/ to show the world that we have no water. One can judge the water scarcity in the region by visiting the entire southern Sindh.

Delta is there to witness that not a single drop of water is wasted in the Sindh. Anyway, the decision regarding such happenings can only be done by the experts. Building dams doesn’t only mean to build a concrete building of billon dollars but the real factor behind this is the availability of water. The present government is not much powerful as compare to Musharaf’s government. Even he couldn’t make dams during his regime and in at that time’s Water Commission’s report it was clearly stated that ‘there is no water for the dams in the rivers so small dams “carry over” can only be build’. Small dams are good for storing rain water only, so such type of small dams can be built throughout the country. The project which was once initiated in the Sindh regarding construction of small dams is still in pending. Gaaj dam project in Kachho area of Sindh hasn’t been completed yet due to inattention of the concerned authorities. The trio of Chiefs is not in mood to build small dams in the country as they have made their mindset to only build big as well as controversial dams like Kalabagh. The odd thing I noticed throughout this episode of spreading restlessness among the provinces is hijacking of media to forcibly run dam supported stuff. Previous governments used to pay for all the advertisement of governmental stuff but this new trend which is been developed by PTI government seems very dangerous. Government should has in its mind that media channels are ran on only paid advertisement as they don’t have other source of income. World is shunning all big dam projects owing to global water shortage that’s why there is not any chance for the government to seek financial support/aid regarding this theme. Hence, the concept of collecting funds from the Pakistanis only came into play.

Poor Pakistanis living abroad may not fulfill this unorthodox demand of the Prime Minister but well off personals may contribute some amount for the cause. In all of a sudden, Chief Justice, whose actual job is not to build dams has said that after completion of Diamar and Bhasha dams, Kalabagh dam will also be build. He must have in his mind that except Punjab, all other provinces have been against the controversial dam for years and giving such type of statement in a time when a debate is already going on in the country regarding construction of any dam can create a chaotic situation among the populace of three provinces against federal government as well as Punjab. Imran Khan is the head of ‘dam trio’ that’s why every decision related to building dams will come on his table for final approval but I don’t think that approving such decisions will make him more popular and powerful among the populace. Such decisions are like playing with people’s sentiments rather than providing them some sort of comfort. Democracy will never flourish if being a head of a state Imran Khan keeps tracing the same lane of action like our previous leaders used to keep. The trio must convince all the provinces first then they should make any decision otherwise the history will never forgive these public servants.