PESHAWAR, Aug 7: The head of the Awami National Party (ANP) on Sunday criticized President Pervez Musharraf’s recent statement about Kalabagh Dam’s construction and warned that the project could spell doom for the country.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Mr Asfandyar Wali Khan said that since three elected provincial assemblies had rejected the dam project in the past the president’s announcement about its construction was nothing but a red flag to the people of those three provinces.

“Kalabagh [dam] is not only a source of aggravation for the province of Sindh, but its construction is bound also to wreak havoc upon the NWFP and Balochistan,” the ANP leader said.

According to him, it is better for the Pukhtun population to fight for their rights and oppose the proposed dam’s construction tooth and nail now instead of getting submerged in the water later on.

“Pukhtuns are not in the habit of living in enslavement. They would prefer to die instead,” he said.

He claimed that recent floods in the NWFP had vindicated the ANP’s stand about the swathe of destruction the dam could potentially leave. Last month floodwaters swept through Malakand, Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera districts.

“These same areas would be the worst affected,” Mr Asfandyar said.

The ANP leader said that President Musharraf’s announcement about the construction of Kalabagh dam was intended only to appease Punjab.

He alleged that President Musharraf was “merely playing the role of the ruler of Punjab” as he wanted to provide water “to irrigate lands illegally occupied by the land mafia in that province”.

“The president is doing this at the cost of the people of the three provinces,” Mr Asfandyar said.

The ANP supports the construction of Bhasha and other dams that it says could give benefit to the people instead of bringing ruination upon them.

He made it clear that the announcement to build the controversial dam would amount to waging war against the three federating units. He warned that the consequences would not be dissimilar to that of East Pakistan.

Mr Asfandyar said the president should give up support for controversial projects and undertake only those that are feasible and good for the people.