LAHORE: As the fund created by the Supreme Court of Pakistan for the construction of Diamer Basha and Mohmand Dams received a lukewarm response, the Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) held an Independence Day music concert on Saturday to raise funds for the construction of the dams. PIAF Chairman, Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, said the concert was held at the National Hockey Stadium, Lahore and the business community, after purchasing the tickets, attended the concert in large numbers. He said that the earnings and contributions of this concert would be donated to the fund created for the dams. He said that the dams would contribute towards alleviation of acute water shortages in the Indus Basin Irrigation System caused by progressive siltation of existing reserves. A large number of renowned personalities who attended the event included Mian Anjum Nisar, Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Sohail Nisar, Tariq Nazir, Chief Secretary Punjab Akbar Durani, Imran Tarar, Director General Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Amna Imran, Shakil Anjum, Khawaja Javed Aslam, Qaiser Sultan, television and film artists and thousands of other people. Quoting the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the chairman said that the total collection from within Pakistan was recorded at Rs854.8 million so far for the fund. He hailed the decision of the Supreme Court for initiating the move and also asked the government to start work on the Kalabagh Dam (KBD) without any further delay. He observed that the KBD was the most thoroughly studied project by world’s top experts, reviewed by noted international panels of professionals and thoroughly appraised by the World Bank. He said that the project was located in the middle of load centre with easy access and no long distance transmission lines would be required for it. He added that the KBD project was ready for construction since mid-eighties and international financing from World Bank or Asian Bank could be easily arranged. Published in Daily Times, August 20th 2018.