WATER RESERVOIRS ARE NOT ONLY ESSENTIAL FOR PAKISTAN BUT FOR ALL THE
COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD ---- ALTAF HUSSAIN

DAM SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTED FOR WATER RESERVOIRS BUT ONLY THOSE ON WHICH THERE ARE NO SERIOUS RESERVATIONS OF THE PROVINCES

THE ENTIRE PEOPLE OF BALOCHISTAN SHOULD NOT BE TARGETED BY ARMY OPERATION AS A RESULT OF ARMED ACTIONS OF A FEW PEOPLE, PROCESS OF DIALOGUE BE   REINITIATED

London-20 December 2005---Mr Altaf Hussain, founder and leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) addressing the President General Parvez Musharraf and the Prime Minister Mr Shaukat Aziz said that any sensible person would not refute that water reservoirs are not only essential for Pakistan but also for all the countries of the world. He further added that how could any patriotic Pakistani deny the fact that water is essential for healthier agricultural production and therefore, water is the need of the people living in every nook and corner of the country.  He reiterated that with this objective, the construction of smaller and bigger water reservoirs or dams is essential.  

In the name of national integrity Mr. Hussain appealed to General Pervez Musharraf, President of Pakistan and Mr Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minister of Pakistan that only such small and larger Dams be built on which no province has any opposition. Furthermore, Dams on which majority of provinces of the Federation has serious reservations should not be built.

Mr Altaf Hussain stated that it is unfortunate that some of the political and religious leaders are not sympathetic to the people and the country; they have been giving misleading advice to the government to serve their vested interests. He emphasised that he had never given wrong advice to anyone during his political life nor did he advise on matters that would not yield positive results for the country, in the long run. He added that it is a bitter reality that half of the country was lost by the ruling oligarchy on the basis of wrong advices, whereas those who provided such advises are considered patriots. He added that those who provided sincere advices on basis of the ground realities were considered traitors and even today their names appear in the list of traitors.

Mr. Altaf Hussain further asked the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan that two assassination attacks were made in the military area of Rawalpindi on General Pervez Musharraf with the powerful explosives.  In those attacks a few army personal were involved but instead of taking action against the whole armed forces the Government took action only against those army personnel who were involved in the attack. Citing this example he said that the entire population of Balochistan must not be made target through Army Operation for the action of a few individuals and the process of dialogue should now be reinitiated sincerely and meaningfully to resolve this issue politically and not through military action. Unrest and grievances of the people of Balochistan should be addressed through political dialogue.

He said that we are engaged in dialogue with our neighbouring countries on long standing issues for the peace in South Asia, why can we not then engage in dialogue with our own countrymen who have grievances and reservations on various issues?