Casting doubt on present government capability to implement Diyame Basha Dam, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal said that the project will become another financial liability like Neelum Jhelum. He claimed that PML-N government had allocated Rs.124 billion for the purchase of the land of this dam, which is not in consonance with the actual amount of earmarked funds in the federal annual budget of previous government. In fact the previous government did nothing to resolve the issue of territorial dispute between Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and Giligat Baltistan to fast track the process of paying compensation to the people to be affected by the construction of Diyamer Basha dam. The issue was resolved by the present government. The stance of the PML-N Senior leader has never been different from Quid of his Party Nawaz Sharif, who had remained averse to the construction of big storage dams; which strengthened the stance of India for constructing controversial dams on the westerly rivers of Neelum, Jehlum and Chenab. It gave a leveled field for the completion of Kishan Ganga on the River named Neelum in Pakistan and starting construction work on Pakal Dual and Lower Kalnai dams on the river Chenab. The statements of Ahsan Iqbal are matter of record in which he openly ridiculed the initiative of former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar for the construction of Mohamand and Diyamer Basha dam. A four member Bench of the Supreme Court had directed the government in July 2018 to take immediate steps for the construction of Diyamer Basha and Mohamand dams. The Apex court also constituted Dams Construction Implementation Committee. Former Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had also announced launching of dams fund to receive donations from people of the country and Pakistani diaspora abroad. These imitatives irked the anti-big storage dam leadership of PML-N. Credit must be given to the present government for reducing the cost estimate by Rs.100 billion as against the estimate of ECNEC approval in May, 2018. Likewise the compensation for the land acquired for the dam has also been paid. There is no comparison of specification and utility of Diyamer Basha and Neelum Jhelum. Neelum Jhelum is a hydroelectric power project of 960 megawatt, having no storage facility for irrigation purpose. On the contrary Dyamer Basha dam will have active water storage capacity of 6.4 million acre feet and total storage capacity of 8.1 million acre feet for multidimensional purposes, including irrigation and generation of 4500 megawatt electricity.
