ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed authorities to remove all obstacles to the timely completion of the $15 billion Diamer-Bhasha Dam, calling it vital for the country’s energy security and agricultural self-reliance.
The prime minister, while chairing a high-level meeting on water resources, stressed that building new dams was crucial to expand water storage capacity, ensure reliable irrigation, and reduce the risk of floods.
“The country’s self-reliance depends on affordable power and agriculture, both of which require increased water storage and efficient usage,” he said, urging officials to prioritise major hydropower projects.
‘Cost of Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project has increased 119.21pc’
Sharif added that affordable electricity and agricultural growth were key to the country’s economic independence, and vowed full government support to advance these priorities.
The Diamer-Bhasha Dam – a 4,500-megawatt concrete-filled gravity hydropower project under construction on the Indus River between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan – is expected to rank among the world’s largest dams upon completion.
It will not only generate electricity but also irrigate 1.2 million acres of farmland, create 16,500 jobs, and extend the operational life of the Tarbela Dam by 35 years.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers,AhsanIqbal, Amir Muqam, AzamNazeerTarar, MoeenWattoo, Adviser RanaSanaullah, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Gulbar Khan, and senior officials.
It is pertinent to mention that last month, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the government would fast-track hydropower projects to counter potential Indian moves to divert water from shared rivers.
His remarks came after India put in abeyance its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, accusing Pakistan of orchestrating the Pahalgam attack. However, Pakistan vehemently denied the allegations, terming it a false flag operation carried out by India itself.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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