Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Umar Ata Bandial ordered the federal government to file a detailed reply on reasons for not initiating construction of Kalabagh Dam.
The CJ passed the orders on a plea filed by Feroze Gilani. The CJ was informed that the federal government had not filed comments as ordered by him in the last session held on the matter. The CJ adjourned the court till October 11 ordering that federal government should file a detailed report on the matter. He warned that in case of failure to produce the report, the court would summon secretary Water & Power appear in person.
The petitioner argued that Kalabagh Dam (KBD) was not an issue of Punjab alone but a matter of the country’s survival, which was at stake due to fast depletion of water resources. He demanded that directions be issued to convene a meeting of Council of Common Interest (CCI) to reach consensus on the design of the dam.
Earlier, the CCI had informed the court that Kala Bagh Dam issue was never presented to it through official channels. Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) through a reply had informed the court that Kalabagh Dam would be built in six years if approved by the Council of Common Interest (CCI) today
However, three provincial assemblies including KPK, Balochistan and Sindh have passed resolutions against commisoning of Kalabagh Dam. Meanwhile, the chief justice has also issued notices for October 11 to federal government, Punjab government and others on petitions filed by Bashir A Malik.
