The PM is well aware of the needs of the industry for power and gas. But loadshedding is causing a dent in the PPP vote bank. It is through political compulsion that gas is being diverted from industry to power generation. He knows agriculture badly needs more water. 20 million acres yet need to be irrigated. He knows growth in industry and agriculture will give a tremendous boost to the vendor industry, will increase production, will increase exports, will increase revenues, help balance-of-payments, reduce current account deficit, open up avenues for local and foreign investment, will tap the goldmine that is overseas Pakistanis, will expand the job market, will alleviate poverty and much more. But all this requires mega quantities of power and water. He knows small and medium dams can do only so much and no more. He knows that only a mega dam in 5 years and not 15 years can bring about the above transformation in the economy. Benazir had said Kalabagh dam is bad so how can her PM say it is the answer to all our problems, which it is. He would be out of office the very next day. Actually the PM is to be pitied rather than scorned because knowing fully well what needs to be done, he is helplessly caught between Benazir and Zardari. Zardari is interested only in the growth of his party's vote bank and nothing else.
ENGR KHURSHID ANWER,
Lahore, January 4.