Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has reportedly said that in line with the past atomic blasts, he aims to generate an economic blast, during his tenure of next five years. The mega challenge faced by the nation is desperate shortage of power, which has beleaguered the entire industry, as well as agriculture of Pakistan, creating massive unemployment and law and order problems. Such mega challenges cannot be wished away by coal or ‘bagasse’ generated energy of some hundred MW. It needs production of several thousand MW of energy that can only be produced by a mega hydroelectric dam over a period of 5 to 6 years. The only mega dam that qualifies for funding is Kalabagh dam, which if perused with singleness of purpose in tandem with coal, sun or wind generated, short or medium term projects that would foot the bill.The present myopic look of planning mini projects for power could not resolve the mega challenge of power shortage even in the long run, short of a mega dam that could provide storage of water in addition to cheap power and flood control downstream of Tarbela dam where rains have wrought havoc in 2010 and 2011. Perhaps the combined duo of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League-N could convince Sindh to implement the famous Water Accord of 1991 by building Kalabagh dam to give equal share of water i.e. 37 percent.The blessings of 1991 Water Accord could only be reaped by Kalabagh dam and it is a win-win situation for all the provinces, including KPK, which would get its 14 percent share of water to irrigate 8 lac virgin acres of Dera Ismail Khan from a right bank gravity canal to change the fate of KPK. Mian Sahib should not get caught up only in short and medium term projects, but also plan for long term projects like Kalabagh dam, which if started now could bear fruit at the culmination of present tenure of Pakistan Muslim League-N. No other mega dam, including Bhasha dam, offers the same promise as Kalabagh dam for obvious reasons, of non-funding by IMF and lack of NOC from India being located in a disputed area. The ball is in your court now Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to decide the future of the country.DR. M.YAQOOB BHATTI, Lahore, May 30.