LHC questions delay in Kalabagh Dam construction

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday ordered the federal government and WAPDA to file a report specifying the benefits of Kalabagh
Dam project, if it was constructed.
The chief justice also sought additional comments from the federal government for not proceeding with the construction of Kalabagh Dam.
He passed the orders on a plea for the construction of Kalabagh Dam filed by Advocate Syed Feroze Shah Gilani.
As the proceedings started today, a law officer filed comments on the behalf of the federal government.
However, the CJ noted that the comments did not mention reasons as to why the Kalabagh Dam project was not implemented.
The CJ directed the federal government to file additional comments on the subject.
The court was also informed about the procedure of taking the matter to the Council of Common Interest (CCI).
The chief justice noted that neither provincial governments nor the parliament had asked the government to take the matter to the CCI.
The federal law officer pleaded the court to dismiss the petition as the petitioner had no standing in the matter.
However, the chief justice observed that the court could interfere in the matter as per Article 4, 9 and 25 of the constitution and petitioner’s standing would be decided later.
The CJ seeking reports from the federal government and WAPDA adjourned the matter till September 13.
He also issued notices for September 13 on an identical plea for the construction of Kalabagh Dam filed by Chaudhry Saleem.
The petitioner, in his petition, submitted that Kalabagh
Dam (KBD) was not an issue of Punjab alone but a matter of the country’s survival that was at stake due to fast depleting water resources.
He pleaded the court to issue directions to convene a meeting of the Council Common Interest (CCI) to formulate, decide, and develop consensus and exercise supervision and control of Kalabagh Dam project.
Earlier, the CCI through a reply informed the court that the Kalabagh Dam issue was never presented before it.
Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) through a reply had informed the court that Kala Bagh Dam project could be built in six years, if approved by the Council of Common Interest (CCI).
However, WAPDA in its reply mentioned that three provincial assemblies including KPK, Balochistan and Sindh had passed resolutions against the construction of Kalabagh Dam.
WAPDA further pointed out that all objections raised by provinces were critically examined with the help of proper technical studies. “These studies revealed that most of these were biased either on lack of information or hearsay”, the reply added.