ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis living in Canada have pledged $2.5 million for Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams as fundraising in the country gains momentum.

Details released by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s central media department particularly mention a minor girl who donated her earrings for the cause.

Senator Faisal Javed, who is part of a fundraising delegation also comprising former chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar and former federal minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, lauded efforts of the Pakistani community in Canada for holding magnificent events of overseas Pakistanis and generously contributing to the dams fund. Referring to the donation of earrings by the minor girl, he said: “This spirit is our valuable asset and with this we can overcome any crisis.”

Head of ‘IamPakistanMovement’ Syed Ahmed purchased the earrings and donated the amount to the dams fund. Senator Javed returned the earrings to the girl and said he had witnessed the same passion and generosity from the people of all ages, especially youth, during fundraising for Shaukat Khanam Memorial Hospital.

Sikh leader Ghosal Singh attends fundraising event

Speaking at a fundraising event in Canada, Senator Javed said Imran Khan would succeed in making dams and addressing the water crisis the way he succeeded in constructing the world class cancer hospital for the poor. He commended the participation of other political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, in the event and said that “we should collectively strive for this cause keeping aside political differences”.

He said Pakistan received around 145 million acre feet (MAF) of water annually but could only save 13.7 MAF of the total water flow. “We waste about 90 per cent of the total water flow because we don’t have storage capacity.” He said per capita water availability in Pakistan in 1947 was 5,600 cubic metres but today it came down to about 1,000 cubic metres. “Pakistan has only two large dams; Canada has 933 large dams out of total 15,000 dams.”

Senator Javed regretted that Pakistan could store water only for one month against the minimum requirement of four months, whereas Egypt had water storage capacity of 33 months and the United States of 30 months.

He lamented that water worth about $22 billion went to waste in Pakistan every year, adding that the government had worked out a strategy for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams. “More than Rs50 million are flowing into the dams fund daily,” he said.

The fundraising event was also attended and addressed by Sikh leader Ghosal Singh. He praised Imran Khan and said he had been foreseeing the latter as prime minister of Pakistan for more than 10 years. “Not only Pakistan’s, Imran Khan is world’s pride,” he said and expressed resolve to continue his contribution to such a cause. Mr Ghosal also donated $10,000 to the dams fund.

PM Khan’s autographed bats fetched $26,000 at the event and were jointly purchased by Asim Ali and Mohammad Yahya.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2019