— Top judge says all provinces are in favour of construction of dams
— Justice Nisar laments ‘painful’ rights’ infringements in Pakistan
LONDON: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday stressed upon his commitment to the construction of dams in the country, asserting that he has “no political motives” but only wants to serve humanity.
The top judge is on a fundraising trip to the United Kingdom for the Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dam funds and will return to Pakistan on November 28.
Speaking at a fundraising event, he yet again expressed that the construction of these dams was unquestionable as no obstacles will be allowed to impede with the process.
He also related to the audience that there were rumours that the provinces could not reach a consensus on the construction of Kalabagh dam and it had the potential to cause rifts among the different communities. However, he added, all are in favour of the Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams.
Later, he put up the question: “Why Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams shouldn’t be constructed?”
“There is a burgeoning water crisis in Pakistan that needs to be addressed. This is why several dams are to be constructed on the Indus River and no one shall be allowed to create hurdles in the construction.”
The discussion also centred on the crises in Balochistan, as Justice Nisar said that he had conversed with the former provincial chief minister on the absence of corrective action.
“Balochistan is struggling in the areas of health, water as well as education. Currently, the water level in the province is at 2,000 feet and it is expected that people will need to relocate if nothing is done to prevent the worsening circumstances.”
He lamented the human rights infringements in the country, claiming that he has seen widows and orphans being stripped of their rights. “These human rights issues are very painful [to witness],” he added.