LAHORE – Diamer Basha and Mohmand dams funds get a booster from thePakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF).

PIAF held an Independence Day music concert to raise funds for theconstruction of theDiamer Basha and Mohmand Dams.

PIAF chairman Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said the Jashn e Azadi concert was held atNational Hockey Stadium Lahore which was attended by a large number ofbusiness community with their families by purchasing tickets. He said theearnings and contributions of this concert will be fully donated to thesupreme court of Pakistan Diamer Basha & Mohmand Dam fund lead toconstruction of the dams.

He said that the project will contribute towards alleviation of acute watershortages in the Indus Basin Irrigation System caused by progressivesiltation of existing reserves.

A large number of renowned personalities who attended the event includingMian Anjum Nisar, Irfan Iqbal Sheikh Sohail Nisar, Tariq Nazir chiefsecretary Akbar Durani, Imran Tarar, DG LDA Amna Imran Shakil Anjum, Kh.Javed Aslam Qaiser Sultan and many TV/ Film actors and artists andthousands of others.

Quoting the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), he said that the total collectionfrom within Pakistan was recorded at Rs854.8 million so far for dams’construction. The detail shows that the fund received Rs22 million onAugust 13, Rs87.4 million on August 9, Rs63.4 million on August 8, andRs44.9 million on August 6.

He hailed the decision of the Supreme Court for initiating the move, alsoasking the government to start work on Kalabagh Dam without any furtherdelay. He observed that KBD is the most thoroughly studied project byworld’s top experts, reviewed by noted international panels ofprofessionals and thoroughly appraised by the World Bank. The project islocated in the middle of load centre, easy to approach and no long distancetransmission lines are required for it.

It is ready for construction since mid eighties and international financingfrom World Bank or Asian Bank can still be easily arranged.