The recent proactive action of Chief Justice of Lahore High Court to move the CCI to untangle the knot of KBD hanging fire since decades is a positive step to finally solve the simmering problem of water and power shortages dogging the country. In this connection it is pertinent to mention that the writer had tried to move the Supreme Court of Pakistan through a writ petition No. 37 of 2000 under Article 184(3) of the Constitution through Barrister Zafarullah Khan on which the decision is still pending. It was petitioned to direct the federal govt to undertake a referendum upon the issue to build the much delayed Kalabagh dam so as to ascertain the wishes of people all over the country once for all.
Since the issue of water pertains to all the provinces, the Apex Court was a better forum to decide the interprovincial issue of a hydro electric dam. WAPDA has also stated that the objections of smaller provinces on KBD were baseless. Now it is incumbent on the Apex Court to issue a directive to the federal government to carry out a national referendum over the much delayed issue of KBD that can be built in six years with half the cost of Bhasha dam that would take 12 years to build at a cost of 12 billion US$. There is a saying that even a lark (a small bird) is heard after 12 years. May be the Apex Court would finally hear the petitioner after 12 years since the year 2000.
DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
