islamabad: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Thursday said future of the business community is linked to Pakistan.
We can remain in business if the country remains intact therefore the businessmen should be united to discharge their national obligations, it said.
The business community should fully cooperate to construct two dams as directed by the Supreme Court, said Karim Aziz Malik, Vice President FPCCI.
Speaking to the business community, he said that completion of dams will take time, therefore, reservoirs should also be constructed across the country which is an economic option and the business community will fully cooperate in it.
The government should also invite local and foreign investors to build reservoirs on BOT basis to save water worth tens of billions of dollars wasted annually.
Reservoirs are not only meant for power production but these can be used for the provision of water to masses, agricultural sector, and flood protection, he added.
Karim Aziz Malik said that many former governments have neglected the issue of water scarcity and avoided construction of dams but now the efforts of the Supreme Court is serious about it which is a very positive sign.
Pakistan is among the countries facing water scarcity as it has constructed two mega dams and some small dams since independence while other countries completed over forty thousand dams during this period.
Avoiding dams resulted in over-dependence on fossil fuels increased the cost of electricity which impaired production and exports, he observed.
There are thirty-three countries in the world that get over fifty percent of their water from neighbouring countries but Pakistan is the only one which gets water through enemy nations which is a great national security threat, said Malik.
