It has now become evident that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is supporting a hardened view on Kalabagh dam. They are insistent on their stance even after the historic floods.
The PML(N) had a golden opportunity, that comes in a century, when they had only to support the new name for NWFP in return for the province dropping their anti-dam stand. But they blew their chance and missed the bus to the dismay of all concerned. In exchange, they got the ban on third time re-election of the Prime Minister removed. This was a personally motivated anti-national move to coincide with the anti-dam policy of ANP which has sworn against a mega dam in Punjab.
The test of a leadership is whether it can forego personal potential benefit in favour of a vital national interest. In this, the PML(N) failed miserably to display a traders interest. Ibn-i-Khaldun, the great social historian and sociologist, said that traders or businessmen could not become great rulers.
MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
