Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan has demanded that the federal government set up an independent body of experts to clear up all technicalities regarding Kalabagh Dam and address other provinces’ concerns about the dam.
Addressing a press conference to preview the 43rd Punjab Assembly session starting on Thursday, the minister was asked if the government planned to move a resolution in favour of the construction of the dam.
Sanaullah responded that the assembly had already passed several resolutions in favour of the dam. He said the Punjab government believed the dam was needed to overcome water and energy shortages.
He said that the PML-Nawaz’s position was that there should be a consensus on the dam. He said that if two provinces had raised concerns about water issue or engineering issues, the federal government should try to remove their concerns.
He said that the federal government should form a body of national and international experts, in consultation with all stakeholders, to address the concerns.
Agenda
The minister said that the government planned to introduce two bills, pass some bills regarding universities, and take up other business such as adjournment motions.
He said that in the current parliamentary year, the Punjab Assembly had completed 32 of the 100 days it is required to stay in session. After the next session, it will have completed 50 days, he said. He said that the current assembly had set a legislative record for the province, passing 119 bills in the last four-and-a-half years. The previous record of 118 bills passed in the provincial assembly stretched back to 1937, he said. The PML-Quaid-led assembly had passed 84 bills in five years, he said.
Sanaullah rejected allegations of rigging in the by-election, saying that the Election Commission had not received a single complaint against the Punjab government from some 1,000 polling booths.
He said that general elections should be held on time
Published in The Express Tribune, December 13th, 2012.
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@ Mirza As usuas, Imran Khan Niazi went into hibernation on the issue of Kalabagh Dam, like other sensitive issues of Dual Nationality, Seraiki province etc... The demand of Rana Sanaullah is pragmatic. It is a federal subject. Instead of Commission on new provinces, the government should form Commission on new Dams to prevent the country from prolong loadsheddings.
Federal Government will never form any commission. This is the beauty of politics of reconciliation.
@ Rana Sanaullah Sahib
It is a welcome proposal that the Federal Government should form a committee
of technical experts to consider the KBD issue . However , I believe its
convener/facilitator should be the leader of the main opposition party , namely ,
Nawaz Sharif Sahib .
The more LHC and Punjab govt talks about K. Dam the more divisive it becomes. Just before the next election this is the best/worst way for PML-N to gain cheap publicity especially at the cost of PTI and IK. This issue can best be discussed in the senate/NA not at the provincial level. Another cheap political stint by Sharif.