APROPOS Brig (r) K.H. Mahmood’s letter (Aug 20) about ‘Kalabagh dam’. Kalabagh dam is by now a dead animal and should be buried to save the atmosphere between the ‘constituent units’ from its poisonous effects.

The KBD has been proved unviable, technically and environmentally, and unfeasible at different forums and rejected by the people of the three constituent units unanimously from men in the streets to the members in the assemblies. Also the saner section of the people from the fourth unit conform with their will.

In his effort to belittle the value of the will of the three assemblies, the retired brigadier says: “Let us be clear about our election system where the turnout of voters seldom exceeds more than 50pc. The winner gets little more than half of the cast votes. If there are more than two candidates in a constituency, there is even greater dilution of representation. Most MPAs and MNAs are symbolic and not absolute representative of all the people in their area. Referendum is a method where irrespective of political affiliation everyone in the country casts his vote for approval or disapproval of a project ...”

I ask if the letter writer would be ready to follow the same analogy of holding the a referendum , instead of accepting resolutions of assemblies, to ascertain the decision of the majority of the people on all the important matters?

‘Sindh opted to join Pakistan through a resolution of the Sindh assembly that comprised 60 members. On the day of voting 28 members were present including the speaker. Three of them opposed the resolution. So the resolution was carried with the ‘yes’ vote of a minority of 24. By comparison the Sindh Assembly has passed a unanimous, resolution four times against the KBD.

Abdul Khalique Junejo

Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2015

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