"We will Build the Biggest Dam in History", says PM Imran Khan as he starts work on the Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project

Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed to build the biggest dam in Pakistan's history on Wednesday after starting a project on the Diamer-Bhasha dam. Adding that the project would help Gilgit-Baltistan and the people who live there will also benefit.

The Prime Minister said this while addressing a public gathering in Chilas.

Earlier, the Prime Minister accompanied by Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Wawda visited the dam site where he was briefed about the mega project.

In an earlier tweet, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Retired Lt. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa said the project would generate 4,500 MW of hydel power and provide at least 16,000 jobs.

In his address, the Prime Minister vowed that with this project, the government is moving towards building "the largest dam in the history of Pakistan".

"This will be our third largest dam. China has built about 5,000 big dams, but it has about 80,000 dams in total. It gives you an idea of the big mistakes that have been made in the past.

'The decision to build this dam was taken fifty years ago. There can be no better place to build this dam it is a natural dam. Fifty years ago, it was decided but work has begun today that's one of the biggest reasons why we haven't progressed.'

The Prime Minister said that the government would now move towards building more dams on the rivers, which would reduce the pressure on foreign exchange and allow Pakistan to generate its own fuel.

He added that generating electricity from water instead of furnace oil or coal should also prevent the negative effects of global warming and climate change. Will "The benefits are twofold. We will not have to import fuel and it will not have a negative impact on our climate."

Imran said the project would also create employment opportunities for people living in the region. 'I am familiar with GB and have visited Chilas on several occasions in the last 30 years. I am well aware of the dependence of the region on tourism and how much they need tourism during the summer months.'

He said that he would talk to the Chief Minister to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the revival of the tourism industry which has been severely affected by Code-19 epidemic diseases.

'We start by learning from the world, tourism is slowly starting up again it won't be the same as it was before the pandemic started but we can start slowly opening and developing SOPs for it,' he said. The National Command and Control Center (NCOC) has also expanded.

The Prime Minister further said that this project was a great opportunity for the people of Chilas and GB. 'We have not increased your budget beyond obligations it is the policy of our government to give priority to the areas that are left behind.' he said addressing the people of GB,

'So far, our development is limited to a few cities. Unless we spend on less developed areas, we will lag behind.'

He said that therefore the government was investing in GB, integrated districts, and Balochistan. He finished his speech by praising the people of GB. 'Time will tell that this dam will change the fortunes of the people of GB, especially those living in Chilas,' the PM said.

The Prime Minister began his speech by emphasizing that nations develop when they think about the future and when they invest in their resources they develop the sections of society that are backward. Are left

'Decisions made in the 1990s to generate electricity using imported furnace oil affected our current account deficits. When foreign exchange pressure comes the country's economic situation begins to deteriorate.'

He said that when the PTI took over the government, it inherited a current account deficit of Rs. 20 billion, which is the largest amount in the history of the country.

'After the decision to generate electricity from imported oil, the rupee began to depreciate. When the rupee depreciates, all imports become expensive and inflation rises it affects the poor.'