Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has said that the dam fund is the property of the public. He expressed his resolve to hand it over to secure hands before his retirement. Addressing a dam fundraising gathering in London, the CJP said no dam was built for 40 years, “doesn’t it come under the criminal negligence?” he asked. “If people allow, we can re-impose withholding tax on prepaid mobile cards and the amount generated through it would be deposited into the dam fund,” he suggested. Justice Nisar clarified that he did not wish to impose additional taxes on the people of Pakistan, and said that the re-imposition of the tax on prepaid mobile phone cards was a proposal only. He was of the view that fundraising for dams had become a movement across Pakistan. The CJP said Sikhs from India alone donated $50,000 for the construction of dams in Pakistan. Heaping praise on Pakistanis living abroad, he said, “In case of any crisis, overseas Pakistanis come upfront to help their country.” He said the existence of any society was dependent on stability and provision of justice system. He stated that mineral water companies used to pay only one paisa tax per four liter water, but the Supreme Court intervened into the matter and enhanced the tax to Re1. “I have even forgotten the number of suo motu notices I’ve taken,” he stated while describing the actions ordered by the apex court to ensure provision of justice and basic rights to citizens. The CJP underlined that he had no interest in personal publicity. “But these longstanding issues prompted me to take these steps.” The CJP said that it was the responsibility of the apex court to ensure provision of fundamental rights to citizens. He also shed light on the looming water crisis in the country. Although the Parliament has already stated that Kalabagh Dam was not on the national agenda, the CJP still insisted that a day would come when all four provinces would come on the same page regarding the dam’s construction. The estimated cost for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams is $14 billion. Published in Daily Times, November 27th 2018.