Gilgit
Baltistan Minister for Law Aurangzeb Khan Advocate has said that the Diamer
Bhasha dam has been constructed on the Gilgit Baltistan territory and the local
people should be given the royalty.
He said this
while talking to media persons after holding consultative meeting with Chief
Minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman on the issue.
Aurangzeb Advocate
said that regional government has decided to seek recommendations from law
experts and lawyers during representing Gilgit Baltistan in hearing of
petitions filled regarding constitutional status and dam’s royalty in the
Supreme Court of Pakistan. He informed that he, Chief Minister, vice chairman
Gilgit Baltistan Bar Council and others have already started holding
consultations on the issue.
Commenting
on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s petition filed in the Supreme Court
regarding Diamer Bhasha dam’s royalty, he said that Gilgit Baltistan’s people
were the most deserving of the dam’s royalty. He expressed that the people of
Gilgit Baltistan have rendered numerous sacrifices for the dam, which could not
be brush under carpet by neglecting them.
It is
pertinent to mention here that a dispute over royalty and ownership of Diamer
Bhasha Dam, between the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Gilgit Baltistan
government has caused delay in the construction of Diamer Bhasha dam. To meet
the grievances of both provinces, the government has constituted a Boundary
Commission to avoid any further delays.
The Government
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has claimed their right over a part of land being used as
the dam site and, thus, has demanded a royalty over it. The Government of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is of the view that the site for the power house of Diamer
Bhasha dam falls in its jurisdiction and, therefore, a handsome royalty must be
paid to the government. A similarsituation had previously arisen during the
construction of the Kalabagh dam.
The fedral
government has constituted a committee comprising Federal Minister of Water
Resources, Federal Minister of Water and Power, Secretaries of both Ministries
and Chief Secretaries of Gilgit Baltistan to resolve this ongoing matter that
is creating hurdles in the execution of this project.
According to
sources, even after the first meeting of the committee, no conclusions could be
drawn out and the members had demanded to include the chief ministers of both
provinces in the committee.
Sources said
that the members were of the view that inclusion of both chief minsters would
give the project political ownership and the matter would be dealt with political
support and leadership. Further, the sources said that the committee also
wanted this inclusion to avoid any disruption or clash in future regarding this
project.
