ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: Parliamentary leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in the National Assembly, Dr Farooq Sattar, has said that if efforts are made to build Kalabagh dam without developing a consensus, then the party’s coordination committee will review the situation.
Talking to journalists at the Parliament House on Friday, he said the Muttahida would declare its policy when the time would come and the project would formally be announced.
However, he added: “According to my personal opinion, the party can take any extreme step, including withdrawal of its support to the government, if the Kalabagh dam project is executed.”
About recent visit of President Musharraf to Sindh, Dr Sattar said the Muttahida had categorically told the president not to implement the project without developing a consensus as it could damage the national unity.
He said they had also asked the president not to declare the opponents of the dam traitors as they were as loyal to the country as those supporting the project.
Dr Sattar said they had told Gen Musharraf to develop a consensus over the dam in the areas where a majority of the people was against it.
“We cannot compromise on the rights of the people of Sindh,” he said, adding the Muttahida would defend the rights of every person living in any part of the province.
He said basically the people of rural Sindh had objections to the Kalabagh dam and the Muttahida believed that if the project was forcibly implemented, it could cause a division of Sindh and the party would not accept such situation.
He said the Kalabagh dam was a political and sensitive issue and added that the project could cause an irreparable loss not only to Sindh but also to the federation.
Answering a question, he said that after visiting Sindh, Gen Musharraf had become aware of the concerns of the people who were opposing the Kalabagh dam project.
