One often thinks as to what it would take to build KBD which would save us from tinkering with solar, wind or coal options that are far expensive than hydel option and do not yield any water for meeting our growing needs. It would take a strong central govt dedicated to safeguarding national interests that lie in developing our own hydel sources of water and power against combined opposition of forces that are addicted to importing power and other ancillary needs of equipment requiring expensive foreign exchange that is so scarce. The megadams all over the world and in recorded history were built by strong central govts which in our case has been emasculated by the 18th amendment.
As a result our gung-ho Prime Minister cannot utter a word for KBD which would threaten his support for third-time prime ministership. If he had any guts he could call a meeting of all parties to convince them of the vital need of KBD and remove their baseless misgivings about the dam but since he lacks the will to do so the matter of KBD keeps on hanging fire. Ibn-i-Khaldoon, the great social historian, had warned in his famous book “Almoqaddima” on never to make a trader rule over you as he would always look to his own interests rather than that of the nation. We keep on acting against historical lessons and keep on reaping the harvest destined for us.
DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
