LAHORE, Dec 13: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam President Maulana Fazlur Rehman says if construction of Kalabagh dam is started without consensus, the provinces will have to fight for their survival.

“If the army ruler announced the project without a consensus, then the movement against him will no longer remain political as the provinces will have to fight for their survival,” he told reporters after a meeting of the central shoora (consultative body) of his party here on Tuesday.

Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Riaz Durrani were also present.

Maulana Fazl said Gen Musharraf’s challenge on the dam was worthless for he was neither a technical expert nor the project’s director or engineer. “The general is just exploiting the issue to prolong his rule.”

The JUI chief, who is also secretary-general of the six-party religious alliance — the MMA, denied that the grouping had decided to boycott elections under Gen Musharraf. MMA president Qazi Husain Ahmad has more than once announced that the alliance will not take part in future polls if these were held under the army ruler.