SARGODHA, Dec 19: Kalabagh and other dams are not only vital to the agriculture sector, but also indispensable for the existence of federation of Pakistan. This was said by Law Minister Dr Sher Afgan while talking to the press here on Monday evening.

He said various parties were opposing construction of dams for their own political future. He said the PPP leadership, despite changing the name of Kalabagh dam to Indus dam, could not build it. Similarly, he said, Mian Nawaz Sharif also failed to start work on it and now they apprehended that they would lose their popularity in all provinces if the government succeeded to build Kalabagh dam.

Mr Afgan claimed that neither Sindhis nor people of NWFP were against the dam, rather political parties were making it an issue for the 2007 elections.

He said Kalabagh was the most suitable dam which would not lose its capacity for the next 50 years owing to its non-silting structure.

He said Gen Pervez Musharraf would announce construction of the dam after winning consensus of all provinces.

Replying to a question, the minister said he had personally visited various districts of the NWFP and a majority of the people supported the Kalabagh dam.

Earlier speaking at a seminar on ‘Constitutional status of the army chief as president of Pakistan’ at a local law college, he said the Parliament had empowered the army chief to hold the office of the president vide 17th amendment.

He said some jurists were misconceived by the amendment that Gen Musharraf would shed his uniform before the next general elections in 2007. He said: “The option lies with the president when he will consider it proper and in the interest of the country.”