Federal government asks Supreme Court for release of dams fund

Approximately Rs20 billion is currently held in the dams fund, which the government wants transferred to WAPDA.

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The federal government of Pakistan has formally requested the Supreme Court to release the funds collected for the construction of the Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand dams.

During a hearing on the dams fund case, Additional Attorney General Aamir Rehman informed the court that a miscellaneous petition had been filed, seeking to transfer the dams fund to the federal government and the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

Aamir Rehman noted that the State Bank of Pakistan had opened the account for the fund under the Supreme Court’s supervision.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan, during the session, asked how much money was currently held in the dams fund and how the project was initiated

WAPDA’s counsel, Saad Rasool, responded by stating that approximately PKR 20 billion had been collected.

The fund was initiated in 2018 following a suo motu notice taken by the Supreme Court on dam construction.

Aamir Rasool added that the Supreme Court’s implementation bench had held 17 hearings on the matter.

The Chief Justice further inquired about WAPDA's other ongoing projects and whether the Supreme Court had direct oversight of each of them.

Aamir Rasool clarified that disputes between private parties over the dam constructions had also been heard in the Supreme Court rather than in lower courts, but WAPDA believed these matters should now be handled by the relevant judicial forums.

The court has requested the relevant records and adjourned the session for a brief recess.

Last year, a resolution was tabled in the National Assembly calling for the amount collected in the Diamer-Bhasha dam fund to be deposited in the national treasury, Express News reported.

The resolution, presented by MNA Kesoo Mal Kheeal Das, demanded that the resources be utilised for the relief and rehabilitation of the victims of the catastrophic floods of 2022.

The resolution stated that former chief justice Saqib Nisar had violated judicial traditions and rules by collecting funds for the construction of new dams and water reservoirs, leading to the establishment of the "Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dams Fund" on July 10, 2018.

The State Bank of Pakistan website stated that the SC supervised the fund and its registrar directly operated its account.

Later on, the then premier Imran Khan had also thrown weight behind Justice (retd) Nisar’s call for donations and had urged overseas Pakistanis to contribute to the effort to raise funds via voluntary donations.