ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, who has been taking a great deal of interest in the construction of dams, was informed on Tuesday that work on their construction would start after his retirement.

The CJP’s retirement is due in January 2019.

Retired lieutenant general Muzam­mil Hussain, chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), was briefing a four-member bench of the Supreme Court on the work of the Implementation Committee of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dams (ICBMD) that he heads.

Wapda chairman briefs four-member bench on Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams

Giving a detailed presentation about the ICBMD’s proceedings, the Wapda chairman apprised the bench that legal framework and terms of reference of the committee had already been drafted. Besides, he said, seven sub-committees had been set up to identify impediments as well as the ways and means to remove those hurdles effectively.

Examine: Mega dams cannot be built through crowdfunding

The bench, which was headed by the CJP and also comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, was informed that the ICBMD had succeeded in identifying issues related to land acquisition, project financing, procurement, security and coordination. The committee had also developed a set of recommendations to handle those issues so that the July 4 decision of the apex court for the construction of the dams could be implemented in letter and spirit.

The bench was also briefed about a timeline set by the ICBMD to accomplish the tasks leading towards early commencement of work on the construction of Diamer-Basha and Moh­mand dams. At the briefing, the Wapda chairman highlighted the need for concerted efforts by all stakeholders.

The bench was informed that in view of the procurement, the time frame determined by the ICBMD, work on the construction of Mohmand dam project was expected to commence in the early 2019, whereas all-out efforts were being made to start the construction of Diamer-Basha dam project next year.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2018

Opinion

Editorial

Maulana’s message
Updated 11 Mar, 2025

Maulana’s message

The problem now is that most jihadi fighters, ideologues refuse to end their "struggle" on advice of state or mainstream clerics.
President’s speech
11 Mar, 2025

President’s speech

PRESIDENT Asif Zardari, addressing Monday’s joint session of parliament to mark the start of a new parliamentary...
Indian takeover
11 Mar, 2025

Indian takeover

BY the time the Champions Trophy final ended, the only indicators that the tournament had been hosted by Pakistan...
Mosquito season
10 Mar, 2025

Mosquito season

AS temperatures rise, the threat of dengue looms large over Pakistan. Its warning signs have already arrived. Dengue...
Reckless rhetoric
10 Mar, 2025

Reckless rhetoric

ONCE again, the Indian leadership gave in to their worst impulses, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar...
Water scarcity
Updated 10 Mar, 2025

Water scarcity

The need to meet climate challenge is even greater when Pakistan is prone to multiple disastrous events at the same time.