Inauguration ceremony of Mohmand dam postponed

E-Paper | June 10, 2026

ISLAMABAD: The government has shelved the inauguration ceremony of the much-awaited Mohmand dam project, which was scheduled for Jan 2.

A Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) spokesman confirmed that the inauguration of the dam project — which was to be conducted by Prime Minister Imran Khan along with Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar as chief guests — had been postponed.

“The ceremony has been postponed and no new date has yet to be finalised,” the spokesman told Dawn on Saturday. However, spokesman for the prime minister Iftikhar Durrani was unaware about the postponement of the inauguration ceremony. “I am away from Islamabad and I don’t know about it,” he said when contacted.

The construction of the Rs309 billion Mohmand dam is said to be imperative to resolve the problems of water scarcity and electricity shortfall in the country. A sum of Rs2bn has been allocated for the project in the Public Sector Development Programme 2018-19.

The Supreme Court, while issuing a detailed verdict in the case pertaining to the acute water scarcity in Pakistan, highlighted that “the need for water reservoirs is not only expedient but also sine qua non (an essential condition) for the survival of the people and economy of Pakistan”.

It has been learnt that the inauguration ceremony of Mohmand dam was shelved due to controversies that surfaced on the issue of the award of the contract of the hydropower project.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2018

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UncleFunky

Dec 30, 2018 07:55am

The body language give it away.

Recommend 0

Jawaid

Dec 30, 2018 08:02am

Worrying news. Such an important project has developed problems from the start. While making all transactions and decisions transparent, the irritants shall be addressed on top priority basis.

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Leoman

Dec 30, 2018 08:24am

Naya Pakistan but traditional tactics of purana Pakistan.

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Nex Gen

Dec 30, 2018 08:36am

Wow. One person is liking and doing all activism and another is getting all favors. Naya Pakistan indeed.

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Dev

Dec 30, 2018 09:01am

wow

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Love Your Country

Dec 30, 2018 11:00am

As the time passes, it will unfold in front of our own eyes.

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Vikas

Dec 30, 2018 12:20pm

Eventually the matter will be decided by the CJP as to who should do it. Just let him only do it. And how is it an “inauguration “? It’s a launch to the start of the project not inauguration. In Pakistan between the foundation stone and inauguration it could even be a century.

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Ishrat Salim

Dec 30, 2018 01:01pm

@Leoman, It should be appreciated that the issues has been exposed at the initial stages unlike past issues & controversies which increased the cost of the projects due to delays etc;

Recommend 0

Syed

Dec 30, 2018 01:46pm

Why doesn't PTI think before it speaks? In the end this comes across as highly incompetent planning.

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Justicefirst

Dec 30, 2018 02:05pm

As we are all aware that during the last 10 years all matters relating to spending by the governments of the time and area are all suspicious and it is a established fact that nepotism,Kickbacks and commission were rampant,therefore all future projects/spendings to be reverified by independent civil society.

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Leena

Dec 30, 2018 04:36pm

An other dam is ready for elites who would steal the uninterrupted electric power for their industries and housing complexes and poor would pay the bills and face the loadsheding

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M. Saeed

Dec 30, 2018 05:01pm

The shallow Water Storage Dams without Electricity Generation should be built as a first priority, to meet the very urgent water shortages for agriculture and potable water production.

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Javed

Dec 30, 2018 05:17pm

I thought transparency was the hallmark of PTI government.

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Shah

Dec 30, 2018 07:28pm

Every project started under previous government(s) must be audited.

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Saba

Dec 30, 2018 08:31pm

Very sad news. Would we ever get a dam in our life Time. What’s the next date. Bad bad news

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Allzh Ditta

Dec 30, 2018 10:03pm

Use hard core criminals and thieves as lobourer to help construct Dam. Let them be proud of it for being contributor . If they behave cut their time short.

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javed

Dec 31, 2018 05:44am

Good start. Kalabagh Dam should also be on priority.

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RAja Raman

Dec 31, 2018 07:02pm

At this rate, the dam will be completed in next century.

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Pathanoo

Jan 01, 2019 03:21am

You have less than one percent allocated or available for such an urgent project for the nation. That ought to tell you how desperate the situation is; Financially.

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RAja Raman

Jan 01, 2019 05:33am

Looks people are not understanding the importance of irrigation initiatives and water conservation. With the Global climate change, water will be the most precious resource. No major dams built in the last 40 years, which speaks of the reality. Welcome to the Club and Hang on tough.

Recommend 0

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