DIAMER: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday emphasized the urgent need to expedite the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, framing it as a crucial national project.
Addressing an election rally in Diamer, Bilawal stated, “The Diamer-Bhasha Dam is not merely a right for the people of Diamer, but a vital necessity for Pakistan’s future.” He also criticized India’s alleged violation of the Indus Waters Treaty, accusing the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of weaponizing water as a form of terrorism.
He stressed that no project holds greater significance for Pakistan than the Diamer-Bhasha Dam. Bilawal urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to demonstrate “Shehbaz speed” to ensure the project’s completion without delay.
The dam, a 4,500-megawatt infrastructure costing approximately $15 billion, is projected to become one of the largest dams globally upon completion. It aims to boost the economy by irrigating 1.2 million acres of farmland and extending the operational life of the Tarbela Dam by 35 years.
In his speech, Bilawal appealed to voters in Gilgit-Baltistan to support the PPP in the upcoming June 7 elections, asserting that the party remains the most trusted choice among the people. He claimed that PPP had secured the highest vote count in previous GB elections but was deprived of nine seats.
He reminisced about the political legacies of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, emphasizing their efforts to uplift marginalized communities. Bilawal also reflected on his mother’s assassination, noting that some believed her leadership would end with her death, but others, like President Asif Ali Zardari, continued to raise their voices for the people.
The PPP leader highlighted Zardari’s role in launching the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and pledged that the party would work towards similar healthcare improvements in Gilgit-Baltistan. He pointed to Sindh’s progress under PPP rule, citing expanded healthcare infrastructure and free medicines, operations, and transplants, and expressed a desire to replicate those successes in GB.
Bilawal also touched upon the issue of foreign military bases, claiming that the PPP government had closed all such bases and bid farewell to foreign military presence, marking a significant achievement.
In a critique of PTI’s Imran Khan, Bilawal dismissed claims that Khan had refused the presence of foreign military bases, asserting that all bases had been shut down prior to his tenure.
