'Rs3b needed for Mohmand dam security '

Top judge says funding education, health in tribal districts will improve law, order

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan has observed that if money were spent on education and health in the tribal areas, there would be no issue of security. The court has also sought security expenditures on dams from the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and a detailed report pertaining to constraints in the release of funds from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

In a hearing conducted by a five-member larger bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, the chief justice inquired as to how much work on dams’ construction had been completed. In response, the Wapda counsel said work was underway to meet the set deadline.

Justice Ejaz-ul-Hassan then asked if the government was providing the promised funds, to which the WAPDA chairman replied that three billion rupees were needed for the security of Mohmand Dam and that salaries had been paid to personnel deployed for dam security. Police, Levies and Army personnel, he said, had been deployed for security.

The chief justice then inquired as to why Wapda was paying personnel if they were already receiving salaries from their relevant departments.

The Wapda chairman said the Army was paid a security allowance and for transportation and salaries also had to the paid to police and other agencies. The chief justice responded by saying that if money were spent on education and health in the tribal areas, security would not be a problem.

Wapda said Rs4 billion had been allocated for education and health in Mohmand and that the Power Division had paid Rs133 billion for the Diamer Bhasha Dam.

The Power Division Secretary said that the payment schedule was being finalized with WAPDA and that the Power Division would pay Wapda Rs35 billion by June with the balance to be paid this year as per court orders.

Giving his remarks, the chief justice asked why the Power Division needed a court order to do its job.

For their part, SBP officials told the court that barriers to the release of the dam fund had been removed.

The Wapda chairman also told the court that a PC-I of the settlement of Diamer Bhasha Dam victims was awaiting approval, and the Additional attorney told the court that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) would soon review and approve it.

The court then adjourned the case for a month.