KARACHI: Paani ke Pankh, a 30-minute duration docudrama about hydropower development, the Mohmand Dam and the success of Pakistani armed forces in the war against terrorism and people’s sacrifices, was screened at the Sindh Lawn of Governor House on Saturday evening.

President Dr Arif Alvi, the chief guest on the occasion, told the audience that water should be used in accordance with needs of the country and the construction of dams was the need of the hour.

“The film Paani ke Pankh presents two facets: how the country fought the war on terrorism to restore peace and the importance of water,” he said.

“Pakistan is progressing with all indicators positive. We are at a tipping point,” he added when talking about the country’s turning its focus on hydropower development.

Paani ke Pankh, a docudrama on Mohmand Dam, war on terror and peoples’ struggle screened

The film produced by Tooba Jamil Baig for Mirza Jamil Baig’s J.B. Films talks about the struggles of the people of Mohmand who have been dreaming about a dam since 1963.

Written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Farooq Mannan, it tells about the land of the Mohmand Dam that was once famous for the healthy and long lives of its people and how it turned into the land of dead bodies.

The docudrama also suggests the dire need for a pragmatic shift towards clean and green energy.

It draws attention towards the construction of mega dams, which has been kick-started now after a gap of five long decades.

Initiated by Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2019, Mohmand Dam has now become a means of revived hopes for the people of that area. It is also a revival of hydropower development in Pakistan.

Wapda chairman retired Lieutenant General Muzammil Hussain emphasised the need for water security that could take Pakistan to the next level.

He further added that the dam project was a 26-billion-dollar investment. “For a war-drawn area, it was impossible to initiate the project without the constant support of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and our security forces,” he added.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, the guest of honour, thanked the docudrama team for conveying the real message to the audience.

He lamented the previous governments’ lack of concern about water projects and how it was not a priority for them.

“Water projects are the highest need of the time, and not just the new projects. We should also look into increasing the capacity of old dams,” he added.

Producer of Paani Ke Pankh, Tooba Jamil Baig expressed her interest in Pakistan’s culture and its rapid movement towards development which led her to produce the film. “God willing, my team at J.B. Films and I will continue to work on such national projects with the aim of taking the important issues of Pakistan to the global stage,” she said.

Journalist Zunaira Azhar, who researched the subject, said that Pakistan’s beauty is often taken for granted. “But it is this beauty that brought me close to the people of Mohmand,” she said.

Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda also appreciated the J.B. Films team for focusing on such topics and expressed the hope to see more projects like these in future as well.

A landmark achievement in terms of content, quality and international production, Paani Ke Pankh was officially launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan at PM House in Islamabad on January 28.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2021