ISLAMABAD, Oct 8: The Ministry of Water and Power and the Sindh government have recommended implementation of the repair and rehabilitation work of Sukkur Barrage through the Pakistan Army.

The recommendation has been sent to the prime minister who would take up the matter with the president for approval and for issuance of orders to the engineering corps of Pakistan Army.

A meeting presided over by Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Jatoi on Thursday discussed the matter with Engineering Chief of Pakistan Army Lt-Gen Mohammad Zubair.

An official statement released on Friday said the meeting also recommended that the Sindh Irrigation Department would act as coordinating agency of the project. The meeting was informed by Sindh Irrigation Secretary Ashfaq Memon that as the irrigation department did not have necessary expertise for the repair and rehabilitation work, the provincial government also supported the execution of the project by the Pakistan Army.

Mr Memon informed the minister that consultancy and other procedural requirements for the Rs1 billion project were being completed so that work could be launched immediately to take advantage of the low river flow.

All formalities would be completed within the shortest possible time, he said. Sources said Lt-Gen Zubair assured the government that he could mobilize his team to the project site within a day's notice.

The statement quoted the water and power minister as saying that Sukkur barrage was the lifeline of Sindh irrigation and because of its serious condition the government wanted to complete the repair work at the earliest.

He said the recommendation to award the contract to Pakistan Army was in the national interest as it would not only ensure transparency but also the quality of work as the Engineering Corps had expertise and experience in the communications, water and irrigation sectors.