Future of country our concern rather than next election, says PM Khan

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said his party is concerned about the future of the country rather than thinking about the next election, reported 24News HD TV channel on Wednesday.  

To a question of a journalist on the occasion, the PM said, “talking about politics was like zero plus zero.” He said construction of 10 dams and hydropower projects initiated by the incumbent government in 2018 and to be completed by 2028 besides generating cheaper electricity would also make the country’s eight million acres of land cultivable and ensure food security. He said they were working on a food security plan.

Talking to newsmen on the occasion of his visit to oversee the progress on the construction on Mohmand Dam, he regretted that despite having the large potential, no dams were constructed in Pakistan after the decade of 1960s. The PM said that contrary to China which had constructed 80,000 dams including 5000 big dams, Pakistan had only two big dams. He said that ten dams including Bhasha and Dasu would be constructed under the vision of clean and green Pakistan.

The PM said that with the growing population, the construction of dams and water reservoirs was a must to tackle the challenges of food security. Despite bumper wheat crop this year, the country will have to import the commodity to fulfil its demand, he said. He said that the construction of dams and water reservoirs was also important for meeting the demand for clean drinking water for major cities and urban centres like Lahore and Karachi.

The PM on Wednesday visited the site of Mohmand Dam and reviewed the ongoing construction work. WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen (R) Muzammil Hussain briefed the prime minister on the progress of the project.

Imran Khan expressed satisfaction over the progress of the project which will ensure the generation of clean and green electricity besides fulfilling the agricultural needs. The Mohmand Dam hydropower project is the first mega-dam in five decades, the groundbreaking of which was performed by Prime Minister Imran Khan on May 2, 2019. The dam is being constructed on Swat River will help in areas including flood protection, agriculture and crop needs, water security and environment-friendly electricity supply. The dam costing Rs 309.6 billion will be constructed 218 meters high with a storage capacity of 1.293 million acre-feet water and will generate 800-megawatt electricity.