The Punjab government has signed MOUs with Turkish companies, for a slaughterhouse outside Lahore, and another for a roadshow for the Punjab Board of Investment. The MOUs were signed for the Punjab government on Saturday by the Vice-Chairman of the Board, in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, who was on hand probably to see the fruits of his visit to Turkey. It should be remembered that Mian Shahbaz had recently been in China, where he made agreements between Chinese firms and his government, including a hydel project at Taunsa. It is positive that the federal government is supportive of provincial governments making agreements on their own for projects which are of benefit to their citizens. It would be a furtherance of provincial autonomy if provincial governments could make agreements, at least with foreign companies, provided they served overall national goals, and supported national foreign policy. There would be no harm if the agreements were to further national policies, such as the Taunsa hydel agreement, which though being made by the Punjab government, is addressing the national problem of loadshedding. If, by some means, it was possible to keep the electricity generated in Punjab, it would still mean a reduction of the shortage. Once a provincial government has attained clarity about national needs, it should go ahead and pursue those policies in any agreements with foreign entities it might make. It is by this token that a provincial government can, indeed should, take up the slack that has been left by the federal government. Now that the Punjab provincial government has entered the field of power generation, it should look at all projects and decide on pursuing those that are feasible. It should not be forgotten that power generation was once a purely provincial subject until it was placed under the Council of Common Interests by the 1973 Constitution. The Punjab government should note that the Kalabagh Dam project falls within its territory, and if the federal government is held hostage by dam opponents, it is not. Its usefulness is not just for power generation, but also water storage, which makes it also excellent as a flood control device, which was recognized last year, after the entire country, not just the Punjab, faced its worst ever floods. The Punjab government should be allowed to go ahead with this project, which has been studied exhaustively again and again, because of a desire to satisfy anti-dam elements, especially now that it has a separate and full-fledged Power Department.