It has been reported in the national Urdu press (Nawa-i-Waqt) of 23-07-2013 that a petition has been filed in the Peshawar High Court for the construction of Kalabagh dam to ensure supply of irrigation water to Southern KPK which otherwise would turn barren due to lack of water. KPK is destined to share 14 percent of Indus water as per Water Accord of 1991 which is only possible from a right bank high gravity canal to irrigate 8 lac acres of southern KPK. This water has been denied to southern KPK so far with the result that irrigated area of KPK is only 5 percent of Pakistan even less than Balochistan which has 7 percent of irrigated area of Pakistan at present.
It is a good omen that someone has become alive to the vital interests of KPK even though JUI stalwarts are silent on the issue thus ignoring the vital interests of southern KPK. Moreover if PHC gives a decision for Kalabagh dam on the petition it would reinforce the already given decision of Lahore High Court for early construction of Kalabagh dam. May be the Superior Judiciary of Pakistan comes to the rescue of the nation where the politicians have failed to deliver so far.
DR. M. YAQOOB BHATTI,
Lahore, July 23.