Imbibed with the spirit of sagacity, foresight and national thinking, PTI lawmakers in the National Assembly Sannullah Mastikhel and Farukh Habib pleaded in their speeches for an informed debate on the technically feasible and financially viable multidimensional Kalagagh Dam. Out of sheer political myopia members of the legislature from opposition benches described the suggestion as “flogging a dead horse.” The project is no less than a lifeline for the agrarian economy of the country as its implementation will bring millions of acres of rain-fed fertile agriculture land in the provinces of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, and Pujab in addition to storing water for irrigation requirements in the province of Sindh for Rabbi and Kharif crops. The same myopia was displayed in the house by state minister for parliamentary affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, while presenting the government stance. He said that three provinces are against the construction of Kalabagh dam thus supporting a political slogan based on parochial tendencies of provincialism at the expanse of national interest. It reflects either his ignorance or oblivious attitude towards the efforts made in mid 80s by the elected ruling leadership of the country for addressing the reservations of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa government, which were entirely of technical nature. At that that time, no opposing voice had been raised from leaders of political parties from Sindh and Baluchistan, except ANP with vote bank confined to three districts of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. A Sindhi Prime Minister Mohammad Khan Junejo (late) had chaired a meeting of the Federal Cabinet in Governor’s House Peshawar in April 1985. The meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of all four provinces and Chairman WADA in which issues of technical nature raised by the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa had been discussed. It was after that meeting that ANP leadership made Kalabagh dam project a politically controversial issue. PPP central leadership took a ride on the anti-Kalabagh bandwagon during election campaign for national polls in 1988. The leadership of PML-N was not opposed to the construction of Kalabagh dam. Former Chief Minister of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Mehtab Ahmad Khan Abbassi, while addressing Kissan Conference in the ANP bastion of Charsadda district in May 1997, had said categorically that Kalabagh dam pose no threat of back-flooding to the districts of Nowshera, Mardan Charsadda and Sawbi. Yes it will certainly drown the politics of political leaders who oppose this project tooth and nail. ANP was coalition partner with PML-N in 1997. The point of view of no back-flooding has been repeatedly articulated by former Chairman WAPDA and Caretaker Chief Minister of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Engineer Shamsul Mulk, who had been Director Kalabagh dam project during feasibility studies in early70s. ANP leadership is opposing the construction of Kalabagh dam merely that it will bring green revolution in the southern districts of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and may shift the political center of gravity from Charsadda to these districts.
