DIAMER, Gilgit-Baltistan (MNN); Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on Wednesday urged the federal government to accelerate work on the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, arguing that India’s actions regarding water resources had made the project a national necessity.
Addressing an election rally in Diamer ahead of the June 7 Gilgit-Baltistan elections, Bilawal said the Diamer-Bhasha Dam was not only the right of the people of Diamer but also a vital requirement for Pakistan’s future. He accused the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating the Indus Waters Treaty and using water as a tool of terrorism against Pakistan.
Stressing the strategic importance of the project, Bilawal said no development scheme was more important than the 4,500-megawatt Diamer-Bhasha Dam and called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to apply his trademark “Shehbaz speed” to ensure its early completion.
The $15 billion project is expected to become one of the world’s largest dams upon completion. It is projected to irrigate 1.2 million acres of farmland and extend the operational life of Tarbela Dam by 35 years, providing a significant boost to Pakistan’s economy and water security.
Seeking support for the PPP in Gilgit-Baltistan, Bilawal urged voters to elect a PPP chief minister, claiming the party had secured the highest number of votes in the previous elections but was deprived of nine seats.
He also highlighted the contributions of former prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, saying both leaders championed the rights of underprivileged communities. Referring to Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, Bilawal said some believed the PPP would be left without leadership, but President Asif Ali Zardari continued to advocate for the people and launched the Benazir Income Support Programme to support vulnerable families.
Bilawal reiterated his demand that Gilgit-Baltistan should benefit from the spirit of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, arguing that a stronger and more empowered region would contribute to Pakistan’s overall development.
Highlighting the PPP government’s record in Sindh, he said the province had expanded healthcare services, established a network of hospitals and ensured free medicines, surgeries and transplant facilities. He pledged to introduce similar healthcare initiatives in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The PPP chairman also claimed that foreign military bases previously operating in Pakistan had been shut down during a PPP-led government. In an apparent reference to jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, Bilawal said such bases had already been closed before claims of saying “absolutely not” to foreign military facilities were made.
