ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army is committed to providing security for all workers at the Diamer-Bhasha dam construction site in the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region to ensure a “smooth” running of operations, the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) said in a statement.
The Diamer-Bhasha project was announced by Pakistan’s military ruler General Pervez Musharraf 15 years ago, with a Rs 442 billion construction deal signed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, China Power and the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) last year.
On Sunday, WAPDA officials accompanied Commander 10 Corps Pakistan Army Lt. Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza to the Diamer-Basha site to review construction work in the area.
“Reiterating the support of Pakistan Army for construction of Diamer Basha Dam, he [Lt. Gen. Mirza] said that we stand committed to providing safe and secure environment in the project area so as to enable the project management to smoothly continue construction activities on all sites of the project,” a WAPDA statement said.
Once ready by 2029, the Diamer Bhasha dam – one of Pakistan’s three mega dams after Tarbela and Mangla – is expected to be a “game-changer,” significantly contributing to the country’s water and electricity needs.
“The project will change the destiny of the nation by stabilizing economy and alleviating poverty from the country,” Muzammil Hussain, chairman of WAPDA, was quoted as saying in the statement.
“It’s turning out to be a game-changer for the locals, as a hefty amount of Rs 78.5 billion is being spent on various development schemes...in the project area,” he said.
Hussain added that the Diamer-Bhasha dam is one of the “most significant projects for sustained development” as it would provide water for agricultural purposes, mitigate floods and generate low-cost electricity in the South Asian nation of over 220 million people.
With a gross water storage capacity to irrigate 1.23 million acres of additional land and an installed power generation capacity of 4,500 MW, the project will also provide more than 18 billion units per annum to the national grid and generating over 16,500 jobs.
“The people residing in the project area are being given priority for the jobs, as about 3,200 locals have already been employed at the project by WAPDA...” the statement said.
Gilgit-Baltistan, which borders Afghanistan and China, is the gateway of over $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure plan.
Pakistan army vows to protect workers at mega dam construction site
https://arab.news/gqbv9
Pakistan army vows to protect workers at mega dam construction site
- ’Stands committed to providing a safe and secure environment’ in the Diamer-Bhasha project area, says Lt. Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza
- Once ready, the Diamer-Bhasha dam will be Pakistan’s third mega dam after Tarbela and Mangla
Pakistan Navy launches fourth Hangor-class submarine ‘Ghazi’ in China
- As per Islamabad’s agreement with Beijing, four of eight submarines will be built in China and the rest in Pakistan
- Navy says all four submarines under construction in China undergoing sea trials, in final stages of being handed over
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Navy announced on Wednesday it has launched the fourth Hangor-class submarine named “Ghazi” at a Chinese shipyard in Wuhan, saying the development will help maintain peace in the region.
Pakistan’s government signed an agreement with China for the acquisition of eight Hangor-class submarines, the navy said in its press release. Under the contract, four submarines are being built in China while the remaining four will be constructed in Pakistan by the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works Ltd. company.
“With the launching of GHAZI, Pakistan Navy has achieved another significant milestone where all four submarines under construction in China are now undergoing rigorous sea trials and are in the final stages of being handed over to Pakistan,” the navy said.
It further said that these submarines will be fitted with advanced weapons and sensors capable of engaging targets at standoff ranges.
“Hangor-class submarines will be pivotal in maintaining peace and stability in the region,” the navy added.
Pakistan’s agreement with China is set to strengthen its naval defenses, especially as ties with arch-rival India remain tense.
India and Pakistan were involved in a four-day military confrontation in May this year before Washington intervened and brokered a ceasefire. Four days of confrontation saw the two countries pound each other with fighter jets, exchange artillery fire, missiles and drone strikes before peace prevailed.
Pakistan’s air force used Chinese-made J-10 fighter jets in May to shoot down an Indian Air Force Rafale aircraft, made by France.
The altercation between the nuclear-armed neighbors surprised many in the military community and raised questions over the superiority of Western hardware over Chinese alternatives.
Islamabad has long been Beijing’s top arms customer, and over the 2020-2024 period bought over 60 percent of China’s weapons exports, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
