LAHORE – Azad Jammu Kashmir Prime Minster Sardar Attique Ahmad has said that India is planning to construct 250 small and mega dams over river Chenab. This situation would aggravate the already tense water situation, he said.
“If the inflows in the rivers continue to decline, people in cities like Lahore and Karachi may face water rationing in near future, he said while speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday. LCCI President Shahzad Ali Malik, Senior Vice President Sheikh Mohammad Arshad and Vice President Sohail Azhar also spoke on the occasion.
Attique believed that the hydroelectric power potential of Azad Kashmir, which is approximately 18,000MW, needs to be harnessed. He said that after construction of Mangla dam, work on the construction of 1000MW Neelum-Jhelum Valley Hydroelectric Power Project has been initiated.
He said that some 301 points on the water channels in Azad Kashmir had been identified for the generation of hydroelectric power, while work at 26 locations was in progress. Extending an olive branch to the outer world, he said that conflict had never been a solution of problems and urged for negotiations to bring peace in the region.
He invited the Lahore business community to invest in Azad Kashmir as the state government was committed to facilitate local and foreign investors. He said that the Azad Jammu and Kashmir had inherent economic potential to cater to the needs of entire South Asia. He said that his proposal to convert Line of Control into functional Line of Commerce had started to give rich dividends and hoped that such an activity would help bring down tempers in the region.
He firmly believed that there was huge potential in the fields of religious tourism, medicinal herbs and timber. He claimed that his government had designed an investment protection policy which would promote international investment in AJK. Attique said that economic revolution would be brought into Azad Kashmir through public private partnership.
Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI President Shahzad Ali Malik proposed establishment of AJK-LCCI Investment and Trade Promotion Council, having business leaders from both sides as well as leading figures of Kashmiri diasporas especially in UK and America. He said that the proposed Council, having its Secretariat at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce, would be given a deadline to finalise its action plan for promotion of trade and investment.
The LCCI president said that an LCCI delegation would soon visit Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with an objective to further strengthen the existing trade relations. The LCCI President also paid rich tributes to AJK Prime Minister for presenting a ten point proposal before the United Nations and OIC that played a great role in highlighting the plight of Kashmiris. In addition, it promoted the entire cause in a befitting manner at the international diplomatic scene.
He hailed AJK Prime Minister’s leadership for its efforts at promoting public-private partnership and removing gender bias in employment opportunities. He said that the vision of a ‘Green and Skilled Kashmir’ created awareness among general public on issues relating to global warming, environmental development and youth rehabilitation.
He said that establishment of various new state institutions like Kashmir Bank, Kashmir Housing Authority, Kashmir Tourism Development Authority, Technical and Vocational Educational Authority will prove important cornerstones of nation building. The upcoming hydroelectric projects in Putarend and Mirpur are the prime examples of forward thinking and planning for bringing about a positive economic change in the area.
This will unleash a new wave of investment, job creation and economic development in the area. He informed the AJK Prime Minister that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry has also taken an initiative to establish ‘Pakistan Water Front’ which aims to mobilise key stakeholders and necessary resources to address the most important issue of present day Pakistan.
“We are faced with dire crisis in terms of the availability of water and storage of water which has the potential to gravely undermine social and economic welfare of current and upcoming generations.”
The LCCI President stated that AJK is a land of outstanding natural beauty. Its snow covered peaks, forests, rivers, valleys and climate varying from artic to tropical, offer excellent tourist destinations. This beautiful land demands projection and showcasing to the world that the area remains pure and unexplored for admirers of natural beauty internationally.
