Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday urged the federal government to accelerate work on the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, calling it a national priority and a key requirement for the country’s future.
Addressing an election rally in Diamer, he said the dam is not only the right of the local population but also essential for Pakistan’s long-term water and energy needs.
He strongly criticised India, accusing the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using water as a political tool and violating the Indus Waters Treaty.
Bilawal said no project is more important than the Diamer-Bhasha Dam and urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to speed up its completion with what he described as “Shehbaz speed.”
The Diamer-Bhasha Dam is a 4,500-megawatt hydropower project with an estimated cost of around $15 billion. Once completed, it is expected to become one of the largest dams in the world.
The project is seen as a major boost for Pakistan’s economy. It will irrigate around 1.2 million acres of farmland and is also expected to extend the life of the Tarbela Dam by up to 35 years.
During his address, Bilawal also urged voters in Gilgit-Baltistan to support the PPP in the upcoming June 7 elections and to help the party form its government in the region. He claimed the PPP had secured the highest votes in the previous elections but was deprived of several seats.
He referred to the political legacy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, saying both leaders fought for the rights of underprivileged communities.
Bilawal also praised President Asif Ali Zardari, crediting him for launching the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and continuing public welfare efforts after Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.
He said the PPP wants Gilgit-Baltistan to benefit from the 18th Constitutional Amendment and argued that a stronger GB would support Pakistan’s overall economic development.
Highlighting the party’s performance in Sindh, he said the provincial government expanded healthcare services after the 18th Amendment, offering free medicines, surgeries, and transplant facilities.
Bilawal also said that foreign military bases operating in Pakistan in the past were shut down during a PPP-led government, calling it one of the party’s key achievements.
In a political reference, he criticised claims made by former prime minister Imran Khan regarding foreign military bases, saying such facilities had already been closed earlier.
