New push to raise funds for dams in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Bringing to fruition Prime Minister Imran Khan’s plans to address the water crisis in the country, the Pakistan Army on Monday contributed more than one billion rupees ($81m) for the construction of much-needed dams.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa presented the cheque to Mian Saqib Nisar, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), on behalf of the army.
The CJP launched the fundraising campaign for the construction of two water reservoirs, namely Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand dams, in July this year. The estimated amount required for the construction of the dams – located in Gilgit-Baltistan and the Mohmand tribal district — is $14 billion, of which Rs2.9 billion has already been collected.
“The Pakistan Army shall continue to contribute toward nation-building as a national institution,” Major General Asif Ghafoor, a military spokesperson, said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, PM Khan met with Lt. Gen. (Retired) Muzammil Hussain, the Chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority to press upon the urgency of constructing the dams. “I may supervise the project myself, given the urgency,” PM Khan said in tweet.
On September 7, he had discussed the ongoing water crisis in a video message to the nation and urged all nationals, especially overseas Pakistanis, to contribute at least $1,000 toward the cause.
PM Khan and the CJP in individual messages have reiterated the need to address the issue, with water scarcity identified as the biggest problem of the country.