No Kalabagh Dam without consensus, says PTI's Haleem Sheikh

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Haleem Adil Sheikh on Monday said that the federal government has no intention to build the controversial Kalabagh dam without developing consensus over the issue, ARY News reported.

Addressing media outside Sindh Assembly, the PTI leader maintained that the PM Imran Khan and the federal government is collecting funds for Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand dams not the Kalabah dam, adding that no dam will be constructed without taking all provinces on-board.

“People are getting offended over something which is not even mentioned anywhere in the whole story, we only intend to build the Diamer Bhasha and other dams, there is no mention of Kalabagh anywhere in the party policy statements, not the PM’s speech,” said Sheikh.

He added that it was Chief Justice of Pakistan  (CJP) who expressed hope of building the Kalabagh Dam not the ruling party.

“I am not his (CJP) spokesperson but can say that he only expressed hope and everyone has the right to express his opinion,” said the PTI leader.

It is pertinent to note here that CJP Saqib Nasir, during a speech in Lahore on Saturday, termed the construction of the Kalabagh dam “vital to the nation’s survival”. He, however, added that the dam could only be constructed after a public consensus is developed.