MULTAN: Condemning attacks on the buildings of schools in Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan recently, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday said the attacks were conducted in reaction to efforts he initiated for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam.

He said that although construction of the Kalabagh dam could not be completely ruled out, his focus right now was on two dams — Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand.

Addressing members of the district and high court bar associations here, he said that construction of dams was necessary for the survival of the country.

Says elimination of corruption necessary for country’s progress

The CJP said that in its judgement the Supreme Court did not completely reject the construction of Kalabagh dam, adding that the controversial dam could be constructed if all provinces agreed on it.

He expressed concern over the control of a tanker mafia on water distribution in Karachi where a water tanker was sold for between Rs8,000 and Rs12,000. Now this scourge of tanker mafia had reached Islamabad, he added.

He said the reason behind the shortage of water in the country was that it did not have enough reservoirs to store water.

The CJP said it was responsibility of all Pakistanis to support initiatives for construction of dams in the country because dams were necessary for the country’s progress and prosperity.

CJP Nisar informed the audience that his eight-year old granddaughter had donated Rs7,000 from her pocket money for the construction of dams.

Stressing the need to give importance to the country’s independence from the British colonial rulers, he said a number of sacrifices were rendered for the creation of Pakistan.

The CJP said corruption and incompetence were the two major problems the country was facing today. The country could not be put on the path of progress until the menace of corruption was rooted out from its society, he said, adding that after the death of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Quaid-i-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan corruption penetrated into Pakistan’s society.

In some cases networks of organised corruption had been found, he said, adding that elimination of corruption was a must the progress of the country. “We cannot move forward without eliminating corruption from our society,” he said.

Expressing concern over the rising loans of the country, he said Pakistan had to pay off loans of trillion of rupees and that if found necessary he would take a suo motu notice on it.

He regretted that the state was not fulfilling its responsibility of providing education to the children of the country. “We are selling education. In some schools monthly fee of [a child] is Rs35,000.” He warned that the apex court would not allow making education a business.

He said the political party going to form the next government must give special attention to the state of education in the country.

The CJP said during his visits to public hospitals he found that a number of them did not have ultrasound machines and the machines were out of order if the hospitals did have them. Adminis­trations of majority of hospitals complained that they were short of funds, he said, adding that it was difficult to understand where the funds were going.

The CJP also visited Nish­tar Hospital and Children Complex where he expressed his displeasure over poor treatment facilities.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2018