PM Shehbaz directs early completion of Diamer Bhasha dam

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday, calling the country’s self-reliance linked with affordable electricity and agriculture, directed the authorities concerned to ensure early completion of Diamer Bhasha Dam by removing all impediments.

The prime minister, chairing a meeting on the construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam and other matters of water resources, said that building new dams was crucial to enhance water storage capacity, ensure water supply for agriculture, and prevent floods.

He said that the country’s self-dependence was linked with affordable electricity and agriculture, which required increased water storage and efficient water usage.

The prime minister directed prioritizing the completion of projects like Diamer Bhasha Dam to establish an effective system for energy production and abundant water storage.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Engineer Amir Muqam, Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Moeen Wattoo, Adviser to Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan Gulbar Khan, and relevant senior government officials.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited the site of Diamer Bhasha Dam during his daylong visit to Gilgit-Baltistan. The prime minister visited the site of the dam and inspected the construction work of the project.

Addressing the occasion, Shehbaz Sharif said that the Diamer Bhasha dam project was launched during the tenure of Mian Nawaz Sharif, and it will boost the economic development in the country.

The water reservoir, after completion, will promote irrigation and agriculture, he said, and invited foreign investors to come forward and invest in the project.

“We have to think about large energy projects immediately. Our crops need a water supply on a large scale, and we will encourage the international investors,” the prime minister said.

“There were several challenges concerning the procurement of land for the project, which were tackled amicably, and the work on the project has now begun,” he further said.

“This project is very important for the energy supply to Pakistan. We have to learn from the past to ensure saving precious water,” he said.