Opposition is trying to make the dams controversial: Faisal Vawda

Vows to help Sindh government in resolving issue

KARACHI: The 18th Amendment always comes in the way of settling the issues and the issue of water shortage in Karachi is a provincial subject and not a federal one, said Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda in a press conference on Saturday after interacting with a delegation of think tank from the UK.

Thanking the delegation for their visit, Vawda said that the think tank was a neutral party and was aware of issues facing Pakistan. He said they wanted to help Pakistan grow and had come forward voluntarily.

Sharing some details he said, "The think tanks were observing our culture and programmes and had also provided guidance on some water related issues."

Vawda said that he had a good understanding with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in Sindh and were willing to help them. He said that they wanted to be a helping arm from the Centre and provide as much assistance as they could.



Expressing his commitment to resolving the issue, the minister said, "I am willing to go beyond the mandate of my ministry for Karachi.

Vawda shared that he was planning to inaugurate an RO plant in his constituency in a few days without using government finances. "We are working in coordination with the Sindh government," he said.

The minister assured that the responsibility that he had taken to build Mohmand Dam was in progress. He said that the dam will be inaugurated soon.

Vawda said the opposition was trying to make the dam controversial. He also shared that he will study the issue of Kalabagh Dam and try to understand the problems.

Talking about the layoffs in the media industry, he said that he respected all reporters and cameramen who were doing their duty and were Pakistan's frontline fighters in any crisis.



However, he went on to say that as a government they were just one client of a channel, but the channels were not running on this basis. He was of the view that it is not fair to hold the government responsible for all the clients.

He said the government will help as much as they can, according to its capacity.

He said the PPP and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have to be on the same page and we were trying to make that possible by keeping our differences aside.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2019.