ISLAMABAD: The federal government of Pakistan has formally requested the Supreme Court to release the funds collected for the construction of the Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand dams.
During a hearing on the dams’ fund case, Additional Attorney General Aamir Rehman informed the court that a petition had been submitted, seeking the transfer of the dams’ fund to the federal government and the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). He noted that the State Bank of Pakistan had opened the fund account under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
In the session, the Chief Justice of Pakistan inquired about the current amount in the fund and how the dam projects were initiated.
WAPDA’s counsel, Saad Rasool, responded, stating that approximately PKR 20 billion had been collected since the fund’s establishment in 2018, following a suo motu notice by the Supreme Court.
Rasool added that the Supreme Court’s implementation bench had held 17 hearings on the matter. The Chief Justice also asked about WAPDA’s other ongoing projects and whether the Supreme Court was overseeing them directly.
Rasool clarified that while the court had been involved in settling disputes related to the dams, WAPDA now believed such matters should be addressed by the appropriate judicial forums.
The court has requested the relevant records and adjourned the session for further review.
In a related development last year, a resolution was introduced in the National Assembly, calling for the Diamer-Bhasha dam fund to be deposited into the national treasury. The resolution, presented by MNA Kesoo Mal Kheeal Das, suggested that the funds should be used for the relief and rehabilitation of victims of the devastating 2022 floods.
The resolution also criticized former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, claiming he had violated judicial norms by initiating the “Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dams Fund” in July 2018. The State Bank of Pakistan’s website noted that the fund was supervised by the Supreme Court, with its account directly operated by the court’s registrar.
Later, then-Prime Minister Imran Khan had supported Justice (retd) Nisar’s initiative, urging overseas Pakistanis to contribute through voluntary donations.
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