ISLAMABAD, Dec 5: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rahman has opposed construction of Kalabagh dam without creating a consensus among small provinces “which have serious reservations about it”. Talking to a group of newsmen at his Parliament House chamber on Monday, the Maulana said that recent statements made by President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz were potentially damaging for national integrity.

He said opinion was divided on what will happen in the aftermath of the construction of Kalabagh dam as critics believed its building would cause acute shortage of water in some areas while it might also drown some parts of the country.

Responding to a question, he alleged that the government was not sincere in its “rhetoric” of taking the opposition along, as it had failed to respond to the terms of reference it had submitted to the prime minister two weeks ago for the proposed parliamentary committee meant to oversee the reconstruction of quake-affected areas of AJK and the NWFP.

Maulana Fazl said the government should take in hand Basha dam first because there existed a broader agreement among all stakeholders on it and, in the meantime, Wapda should address the reservations of Sindh, Balochistan and the NWFP by providing a detailed technical briefing to political parties.

Replying to another question, he said although the government had established informal contact with leaders of the combined opposition on the Terms of Reference (ToR) containing their reservations on the parliamentary panel, the opposition wanted a written reply.

He said the opposition leaders were consulting each other so that a unified stand could be taken about their participation in or abstention from the committee.

He asked the government to either reply in writing or hold informal talks with the opposition for creating an understanding on the subject.

The committee was formed to evaluate, monitor and oversight relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction operations in the quake zone.

The Maulana, who is also secretary-general of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, told a questioner that a government’s emissary had contacted MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmed, leader of opposition in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani and PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan but the opposition desired a reply in the black and white.

The MMA leader opposed Nato troops involvement in the relief and rescue mission, saying if Turkey and Iran were able to carry out a similar effort through their own armies, what hindered Pakistan from doing the same.

He justified the fears being expressed by various circles about the presence of Nato troops in most sensitive areas of the country and supported the view of sending them back as early as possible.