In the wake of joint Pakistan-Turkey business forum resolutions the greatest scope lies in harnessing the tremendous hydel resource of energy generation as also of water storage which was also highlighted by the visiting Turkish Prime Minister in alluding to renewable resources lying dormant in Pakistan. For example, the potential of 70,000 MW of hydel energy production is dismally underexploited to a level of 6,500 MW at present. It is primarily due to a lack of understanding between the provinces of Pakistan which has delayed the task of building a mega hydroelectric dam in the past 40 years while our water and power needs rise exponentially each year due to high population growth and diminishing water each year.
Perhaps the greatest breakthrough could be made by initiating work on KBD jointly with Turkey. This would, however, require a Herculean resolve by our Prime Minister to build consensus between the provinces given his wide mandate by the people. I remember my visit to his late venerable father who broke the news to me several years ago that the Prime Minister would build KBD which was also duly announced by him at the occasion of six nuclear blasts conducted in 1998. This promise to the nation is so far unfulfilled by him and people are waiting for the moment that the Prime Minister musters courage to solve the KBD imbroglio during his tenure.
DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
