ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Friday summoned the Ministers for Energy and Finance and the Secretary Cabinet on January 15 in a case pertaining to the construction of Nai Gaj Dam.

A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, heard the petition seeking directives for the allocation of sufficient funds to complete the dam.

During course of proceedings, the Chief Justice expressed the desire that the matter of Nai Gaj Dam’s construction might be resolved within his tenure.

He said that “I had hoped that this matter would be resolved during my tenure. However, some wishes just remain wishes,” CJP said, who is going to retire on January 17th.

Meanwhile, Additional Attorney General Sajid Ilyas apprised the Bench that the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) during a meeting forwarded the proposal for the dam’s construction to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

He said that during the meeting, the Federal and Sindh governments had disagreed on shared financing of the Rs 46.5 billion Nai Gaj Dam but formed a Committee to further scale down its estimated cost.

The Chief Justice expressed displeasure and said that the matter will now be stuck with the ECC.

“I wanted this matter to be resolved before my retirement”, he added.

Justice Ahsan added, “Yet one week is left as Justice Nisar is going to be retired on January 17.”

Subsequently, the court then summoned Ministers for Energy and Finance and the Secretary Cabinet on January 15 (Tuesday), and directed that the minutes of CDWP’s meeting be presented before the court by next Monday.

It may be mentioned that Nai Gaj is a hill-torrent which emanates from Khuzdar district of Balochistan and after passing through plains of Kutch, it eventually enters Manchar Lake.

The Nai Gaj area remains dry for eight months and gets water in four months during monsoon season.

After Manchar lake attains its peak level and no more remains in a position to receive water in monsoon season, water flows from Nai Gaj often devastate flood-protection bunds and inundate agricultural lands.