QUETTA, June 28: Members of the Balochistan Assembly on Saturday opposed the proposed construction of the Hingol Dam in Lasbela district.

The assembly unanimously adopted a resolution jointly moved by ministers Mir Sadiq Umrani, Sardar Aslam Bizenjo and Maulvi Mohammad Sarwar and MPAs Dr Jai Prakash Narain and Dr Fozia Nazir Marri. Speaker Aslam Bhootani presided over the session.

According to movers of the resolution, historic Hindu temple ‘Hinglaj Mata’ would submerge in the proposed dam’s reservoir. They said the dam would also destroy the already fragile eco-system of the Hingol National Park.

Dr Narain said hundred of thousands of Hindu pilgrims from all over the world visited the ancient temple in April every year. “With the construction of the dam all roads leading to the temple would be blocked,” he told the assembly.

He said the project would also ignite the religious sentiments of the Hindu community not only in Pakistan but at the international level and Pakistan’s image would be affected adversely.

The resolution called upon the federal government to shift the dam project to some other suitable place in the larger interest of the people of Balochistan.

Sardar Aslam Bizenjo, Jaffar Khan Mandokhel, Mir Sadiq

Umrani, Habibullah Moha-mmad Hasni, Hamal Kalmati, Mir Rehman Mengal, Zahoor Buledi, Ali Jan Changezi, Capt (retd) Abdul Khaliq, Engr Basant Lal Gulshan and Rustam Jamali spoke on the resolution.

They said that the dam would destroy wildlife in the Hingol National Park set up on about 610,043 hectares in 1988.

The World Bank is custodian for the preservation of the national park and had already spent Rs2,500 million on the project.

Speaker Aslam Bhootani said that besides affecting wildlife and destruction of Hinglaj Mata temple, local population would be displaced. He suggested the amount approved for the Hingol dam should be diverted to the Windar dam in Lasbela district.

The house adopted another resolution moved by Provincial Minister for S&GAD Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, demanding reinstatement of 80 employees, including 10 engineers and officers belongs to the Bugti tribe in the Sui gas field and the PPL.

The employees had migrated to other areas of the province due to military operation in Dera Bugti district.

Minister for Information Tech-nology Shama Perveen Magsi moved the Balochistan Institute of Information Technology and Management Sciences Amend-ment Bill 2008 in the house.