Gulf News

Citizens abroad raise Rs1b for dams

PM IMRAN HAS WARNED THAT PAKISTAN COULD FACE FAMINE-LIKE CONDITIONS BY 2025

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Imran Khan has warned that country could face famine-like conditions by 2025 |

Pakistanis living and working abroad have so far contribute­d nearly one billion Pakistan rupees (Dh26.68 million) to an ambitious project, backed by the country’s chief justice, two build two large dams.

According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), between July 6 and December 06, 2018, around Rs8.46 billion was deposited by local as well as expatriate Pakistanis to support the constructi­on of ‘The Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dams Fund’.

Of the total donations, 990 million rupees was donated by expatriate­s, while local Pakistani individual­s and institutio­ns gave away Rs7.47 billion.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar launched the fund on July 6 and was later joined by Prime Minister Imran Khan, making it a joint venture to overcome the country’s water scarcity.

Pakistanis abroad have been passionate­ly contributi­ng to the national cause after the prime minister appealed to the country’s estimated nine million-strong diaspora, particular­ly those living in European countries and the United States, to contribute at least $1,000 (Dh3,673) per head to the noble cause.

Imran warned that Pakistan could face famine-like conditions by 2025 if new water reservoirs were not built now. He also asked all Pakistanis for generous donations.

Justice Nisar also visited the United Kingdom for a fund-raiser to avert the looming threat, which may invite drought in Pakistan in coming years.

Around $14 billion (Dh51.4 billion) is required for the constructi­on of the Diamer Bhasha dam. Within Pakistan, the contributi­ons were made through cheques, cash and mobile phone message service. An amount of Rs125 million was received through the SMS services of the four cellular companies operating in Pakistan.

Overseas Pakistanis transmitte­d their donations through debit and credit cards and in the SBP Nostro account and commercial banks overseas. Most of the foreign donations came from Pakistanis living in the United States which is around Rs362 million while those in Britain gave around Rs214 million.

Pakistanis in Canada donated Rs107 million. Other major donations were made by overseas Pakistanis residing in Saudi Arabia and Qatar (around Rs40 million each), Switzerlan­d (Rs32 million) and the UAE (Rs65 million).

Other countries where contributi­ons from Pakistanis came from include; Afghanista­n, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, China, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, Fiji, India, Ireland, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Malaysia, Netherland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippine­s, Russia, South Korea, South Africa, Sweden, Tajikistan, Turkey, Thailand and Tunisia.

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