Indian Water Aggression Has Ruined Farmers; Kalabagh Dam Must Be Built, Says Sheikh Rashid

Rawalpindi – Former Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that Indian water aggression has devastated Pakistani farmers and stressed that the Kalabagh Dam must be constructed without delay.

Speaking to media outside an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, Rashid said that the dam is crucial for Pakistan’s future and that justice should also be made accessible to all. “Today, justice has been torn apart. Such a system should not be imposed that leaves people hopeless and helpless,” he remarked.

Referring to the May 9 cases, he stated that he appeared before the court but proceedings were adjourned due to the judge’s ill health. He claimed that 108 people in Faisalabad had been sentenced and Rashid Shafiq was convicted in a fourth case, without proper evidence or defense. “Lawyers, witnesses, and judgments—all are controlled by the government,” he alleged.

Sheikh Rashid further said that Indian water policies had destroyed Pakistan’s agriculture, leaving farmers bankrupt. “The poor are already crushed under inflation, and rising costs are burying them alive,” he said. He added that incidents in Quetta and Bannu should never have happened and demanded that relief and justice be provided to the underprivileged to ensure peace and progress.

Acknowledging the controversy surrounding Kalabagh and other dams, particularly in Sindh, Rashid noted that despite opposition, the release of water this year had caused massive economic damage to farmers. “Kalabagh Dam must be built at all costs,” he reiterated.