IN VIEW of the chronic logjam over the Kalabagh dam for several decades with the claimed resolutions of three provincial assemblies of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, albeit lukewarm in the latter case, recently with no fresh resolution, it is of utmost importance to search for an out-of-the-box solution.

Since in the present scenario there are plans afloat for creation of new provinces and views of all and sundry are required, there is one solution to appease the opposition of three provinces.

This lies in the creation of four new provinces in Punjab. These may constitute Northern Punjab, Seraiki Suba, Bahawalpur and Pothwar as four provinces which would form a majority of provinces ostensibly to support the Kalabagh Dam and thus explode the myth of three provincial assemblies passing resolutions against the Kalabagh Dam.

As the iron is hot at present, it would be advisable to strike a bargain or solution to impending problems of building the Kalabagh Dam in Punjab.

It is time for the planners to think of a new approach to cut the Gordian knot of the Kalabagh Dam by pitching the majority of four proposed new provinces so as to find a democratic solution of consensus, i.e., rule of majority of provinces.

This would avoid the existing lonely but muted voice of Punjab that is relegated to a minority voice, albeit illogically due to its majority population.

DR YAQOOB BHATTI Lahore