While the political parties are gearing up for the next elections and predicting sweeping the election, none is speaking about the most vital subject of Kalabagh dam which has become a tabooed word in Pakistan. Kalabagh dam is the key to economic prosperity of the country to solve the twin menace of water and power scarcity in the shortest time that bedevils the nation. No amount of flowery promises made in the raucous gatherings of parties could be made fruitful without earliest possible solution of water and power shortage that afflicts the industry and agriculture of our dear country. There is no other mantra so effective as to post haste build the Kalabagh dam and the slogan of mini-dams and alternate sources to cheap hydel energy could not deliver the goods.  All the parties share a collective criminal neglect in keeping Kalabagh dam on the backburner while the national economy goes down the drain.
Dr. MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI,
Lahore, February 28.