Daily Times

The Supreme Court on Monday stated that the construction of dams in the country is the responsibility of the elected government and the judiciary will not interfere in the state’s work.
During a hearing of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dam case, a four-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar also said the decision to collect funds for the construction of such projects was not controversial and the government can take over the responsibility if it so wishes.
He further said that the court could not manage details of the project, such as the design and to whom the work should be contracted. CJP Justice Mian Saqib Nisar further said that while the public wants the judiciary to supervise fund collection, it was not their responsibility nor did they have the resources to collect such a large amount.
Referring to the controversial Kalabagh Dam, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said consensus would be left to the public and their elected representatives.
The government established the Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dam Fund after the SC issued directives on July 4 that construction of the two dams should start immediately and appealed to the people, including overseas Pakistanis, to make a contribution for executing the projects.

Published in Daily Times, July 31^st 2018.