News Desk |
Zulfi Bukhari, the special assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource development has pledged to donate all his salaries to the Chief Justice of Pakistan and PM Imran Khan’s joint fund for the construction of Diamer-Basha and Mohmand dams.
He made this announcement on Wednesday 3rd October 2018. “I will donate all salaries drawn while serving on this position to the PM-CJP Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dams Fund,” he said.
The Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar created the dam funds in July after hearing the case on Kalabagh dam. The country is suffering from an acute water crisis and is expected to undergo severe drought in the upcoming years.
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The climatic changes have adversely affected the rainfall patterns in Pakistan. Hence, the country needs to expand its water shortage capacity. Chief Justice, himself has donated Rs.1 million in the funds on the onset.
Later in the month of September, Prime Minister Imran Khan lauded the efforts of CJP and joined him in the initiative. He stated, “The chief justice has done something which should have been done by the country’s politicians.”
He subsequently announced the merger of the prime minister and chief justice’s dam funds. Imran Khan since then has made several appeals to the people for the donation. Responding to his call people including several celebrities and renowned figures have donated generously in the funds.
Read more: Funds for dams: Public rejects cynics as donations pour in
The notable celebrities include star cricketer Shahid Afridi, actress Mawra Hocane, and cricket umpire Aleem Dar, the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Business tycoon Malik Riaz also made a generous donation for the construction of the dams.
The Army jawans including the members of other combat forces had earlier donated their one-day salary in the dam funds. Following the suit, the government officials also donated their one-day salary in the funds. As of now, Rs, 4.4 billion have been collected in the dam funds.