ISLAMABAD – Amid Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar’s major focus on mitigating water crisis by building dams, Chief Executive of Bahria Town Malik Riaz on Thursday informed the court that he was willing to construct the Daducha Dam at his own expenses with a condition that bureaucracy of Punjab would not interfere in it.
A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by the Chief Justice and comprising Justice Umer Ata Bandyal and Justice Ijazul Ahsen, heard a suo moto case regarding disobedience of its order on building of Daducha and Papeem Dams to overcome water related issues in Rawalpindi.
The court the other day while hearing a case regarding farmhouses in the federal capital had asked Barrister Aitizaz Ahsan, counsel of Malik Riaz who owns one of the farmhouses, as to which dam was not yet built in Rawalpindi despite the court ruling.
Ahsan replied that it was the Daducha Dam, to which, the court issued notice to Punjab government till August 2.
On Thursday, Malik Riaz , who is petition in the case, appeared before the court along with his counsel in the instant matter.
Ahsan informed the apex court that the work on the dam, which was proposed by Rawalpindi Development Authority (RWA) and SDO of the said village, could not be initiated, due to issues related to land where the dam was to be constructed.
He informed that the government of Punjab had allocated a land for the construction of the dam; however, the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Bahria Town purchased some of the land where the dam was to be built and launched a housing scheme as a joint venture with Bahria Town, The News reported.
Replying to a question, Riaz 20 percent of the land at the dam site is owned by Bahria Town. His counsel informed the court that they had demarcated the site for the said dam other than Site 1 which the government had allocated.
In 2015, the Supreme Court took up the matter and gave verdict against Bahria Town, ordering the provincial government to construct the dam at proposed location. Following the verdict, a ban was imposed on sale and purchase of the land in the area.
Aitizaz Ahsen, during the hearing, said that a review petition pending before the top court should be settled by forming a larger bench.
He further said that they want that land should be acquired to them for building the Dhadocha Dam. He also assured the court that the dam will be constructed within a year. He said that international consultants will be hired for this and their fees will be paid by Bahria Town.
To which, Chief Justice directed him to submit a written proposal in this regard, besides issuing notice to the Punjab government for not constructing dam on Site 1 despite court orders seeking a reply from it in three weeks.
When Malik Riaz asked the chief justice to refrain bureaucracy from interference in dam work if Bahria Town takes it up, the chief justice asked Malik Riaz to use good words for bureaucracy as he reached at his position due to this bureaucracy. Riaz replied that Allah has blessed me with success not the bureaucrats.
