PTI divided over Kalabagh Dam after Gandapur voices support for project

• Smaller dams not an alternative to Kalabagh Dam: KP CM
• Ali Amin Gandapur also supports creation of new provinces.
• KP CM's statement on Kalabagh Dam not party policy: Salman Raja

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) showed signs of division over the long-standing and politically contentious Kalabagh Dam project, as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur publicly reiterated his support for its construction.

Speaking to the media, Gandapur said: “I am in favour of the Kalabagh Dam. It should be built. Build consensus, address the concerns of the provinces, and construct the Kalabagh Dam.”

He also urged a national dialogue on the project, urging the media to play a constructive role in initiating debate.

“Think not in terms of politics, but of the state. Pakistan needs the Kalabagh Dam. Smaller dams cannot be an alternative to the Kalabagh Dam. Initiate a debate on national consensus regarding the Kalabagh Dam. The media should help. Personally, I am in favour of creating more provinces, but we must see whether they can stand on their own feet,” Gandapur added.

KP CM further said that the issue in Kalabagh is limited to one district and belongs to the Awami National Party (ANP). 

"Aimal Wali said, 'our generations will not allow the dam to be built. The Kalabagh Dam will be built over our dead bodies', but I would like to tell Aimal Wali that this is Pakistan’s issue. What do the dead bodies and generations have to do with it?”

Gandapur also supported the creation of new provinces, saying that governance would improve with smaller provincial units.

“Small units are formed in countries around the world. Pakistan is the only country that is running on four provinces with such a large population,” he said.

Regarding dams, he said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is going to build two dams on its own. “Think about why Sindh repeatedly floods. Is the water allocated to Sindh being fully utilised? If Sindh believes it will be left thirsty, let’s sit together and decide. Everything can be resolved. If we sit with Sindh, we will give them a larger share of our water. Sindh’s politicians are constrained by their politics.”

However, PTI central leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser did not really concur with KP chief minister’s support for the Kalabagh Dam, and termed it as his personal opinion. 

He said that Gandapur's comments should not be considered as party policy.

“I wanted to make it clear that it was Ali Amin Khan’s personal opinion to support the Kalabagh dam as it’s the party’s (PTI) policy. We don’t consider that we need Kalabagh dam, and small dams can be constructed,” Qaiser said in a statement that he posted on his ‘X’ handle.

The former National Assembly speaker said that KP CM's native town (Dera Ismail Khan) needs a big project such as Chashma Right Bank Canal, which can help water requirements and also store water for future use.

“I think controversial issues should not be discussed unnecessarily,” the PTI leader opined.

Meanwhile, speaking to the media outside the Adiala Jail, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan endorsed Gandapur’s stance on the Kalabagh Dam, after a long meeting with PTI founder.

Barrister Gohar said that construction of dams in the country is unavoidable, but it must be done with consensus. He said that the recent floods have drawn a new map of the country, and the Council of Common Interests (CCI) has also emphasised consensus on the issue of canals.

According to him, natural disasters cannot be prevented, but measures must be taken to mitigate their effects. He stressed that dams are necessary, but they should be built with national agreement.

Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja clarified that recent remarks made by KP CM Gandapur in support of the Kalabagh Dam do not represent the official stance of the PTI. 

Speaking to the media, Raja emphasised that "there are still concerns regarding the Kalabagh Dam in both Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa."

He stressed the importance of political harmony and mutual satisfaction among provinces before any major national project is undertaken.

Meanwhile, major political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), ANP and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF), have rejected Gandapur’s recent remarks about the construction of the Kalabagh Dam.

PPP Sindh president Nisar Khuhro, in a strong rebuttal, reminded that Sindh, Balochistan and even Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had already rejected the project, noting that the KP Assembly itself had passed a resolution against it.

“By supporting the Kalabagh Dam, the KP chief minister is disregarding the will of his own provincial assembly and insulting the mandate of the House,” Khuhro remarked. He added that Gandapur needed to “learn politics” and speak responsibly, noting that the dam’s rejection was already a matter of record. “Perhaps Ali Amin Gandapur was not even in politics when the KP Assembly unanimously opposed the project,” he said.

Khuhro accused the PTI and its founder Imran Khan of covertly backing the dam. “To PTI supporters in Sindh, I want to make it clear: Imran wants the Kalabagh Dam to be built,” he declared.

The PPP leader reiterated that the people of Sindh would never accept the project. “The people of Sindh are willing to sacrifice their lives for the Indus River. Kalabagh Dam is a conspiracy to turn Sindh barren and starve its people,” he asserted.

Questioning PTI’s record, Khuhro asked why key water projects such as the Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams had not been completed during its tenure. “Those advocating for Kalabagh must first explain why the Bhasha Dam, despite loans being secured for it, remains incomplete,” he said. Khuhro concluded that PTI’s open support for Kalabagh had “exposed its true face” before the people.

ANP chief Aimal stated that the Kalabagh Dam was not a solution to recurring floods in the country.

JUIF spokesperson in KP, Abdul Jalil Jan, termed the project a “dead horse” and questioned the CM about his earlier claim of constructing 350 dams.

Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) provincial Chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao criticised Gandapur, calling Kalabagh dam a controversial project.

“Three provincial assemblies in the country have passed unanimous resolutions against the Kalabagh Dam project,” he told a press conference at Watan Kor in Peshawar.

Sherpao said the Kalabagh Dam issue was a dead horse, as work was underway on the Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dams, which were scheduled to be completed in 2030 and 2027, respectively.

On the other hand, Pakistan Muslim League (PMLN) senior leader and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has described KP CM's statement as “welcome” while speaking to the media.

Asif stated, “We are currently going through a major crisis. We do not have the capacity to store water; every year, excess water is wasted into the sea.”

In Asif’s view, “PTI should not oppose it (Gandapur’s statement) for political reasons.”