05 February 2005	Saturday	25 Zilhaj 1425

ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: Technical aspects of the Kalabagh dam would not change even if it is renamed 'Pakistan dam' and the technical committee on water resources has not been constituted to pave the way for the construction of Kalabagh or Bhasha dam.

This was stated by chairman of the technical committee on water resources A.N.G. Abbasi at the conclusion of the eighth round of the committee meeting. Mr Abbasi said the committee would continue holding meetings to prepare and finalize its report but added that it would not submit any interim report and the submission of the final report could go beyond this month.

He said he was not for or against any specific dam. He added that when sometimes two brothers usually don't agree on many issues then how the members of the technical committee could adopt a uniform stand.

Talking to reporters, Mr Abbasi said the president or the prime minister never asked the committee how to function and in what direction to move and added that he was not made the head of the committee to pave the way for the construction of any specific dam.

He said the committee had completed discussions on all the aspects of its terms of reference, namely, desilting of water reservoirs, construction of future dams and distribution of water. The committee had detailed presentations from Wapda, Irsa, the Planning Commission and the ministry of water.

He said the committee had not yet achieved its goal but a lot of progress had been made and the final report would be submitted to the president and the prime minister in a manner it facilitated them in reaching a final decision on construction of dams.

Mr Abbasi said he had been meeting the president and the prime minister but they never asked for any specific objectives. He said the committee would neither submit its report in haste nor delay it because a number of technical aspects "have to be deliberated upon and explained in detail". The committee would submit its report in a professional and impartial manner.

He said the president and the prime minister could have taken a decision on the construction of dam on their own as it was their prerogative "but they have been saying that they were waiting for the technical committee's report".

Responding to a question, he said the committee was not working on the construction of any specific dam but on the development of future water resources. He said he had no powers to stop the president or the prime minister from mentioning the names of dams in their speeches.

He said it was the government's prerogative whether to make public the report before reviewing it or vice versa. He said the committee was supposed to submit its report in the month of February but it would not make much of a difference if it was delayed for some time. The committee should not fail to achieve its real objective, he emphasized.