The Plan to Build the Kalabagh Dam in Pakistan: Conflict among the Interests of the Federation, Provinces, Political Parties, and Army

Abstract

The Kalabagh Dam (KBD) is a proposed multi-purpose water reservoir that the Government of Pakistan (GOP) is planning to develop across the Indus River with the aim of securing Pakistan’s water resources. Although the GOP originally scheduled construction to commence in 1960s, the project continues to be delayed. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the background of the long stalemate surrounding this project. After providing an overview the project’s history and the viewpoints of anti-construction groups, this paper analyzes recent efforts to jumpstart construction of the KBD, including the response by Pervez Musharraf’s government, which designed the current plan in the 2000s. This paper also examines political parties’ attitudes to the KBD and public opinion in Pakistan. The main conclusions are as follows. (1) As seen in the Sindh–Punjab water dispute over the Indus River, distrust between the federal and provincial governments as well as among the provincial governments persists in Pakistan. Because the GOP failed to build mutual trust and consensus on the KBD throughout the country, it is difficult to overcome these factors. (2) The Pakistani military, which has a history of intervening in politics, has great interest in water-infrastructure projects and has supported the KBD project in the past. However, in recent years, they have prioritized other water-infrastructure projects.