On the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Punjab Aab-Pak authority was reconstituted to activate it properly. Dr.Shakil Ahmed was nominated as Chairman of the authority while renowned industrialist, President of DGCCI and former Punjab caretaker Minister for industries Khawaja Jalaluddin Roomi, Akhuwat's Chief Dr.Amjad Saqib, Abdul Jabbar Bari, Brig(Retd)Javed Akram, and Ms. Rabia Zia were nominated as a member of PAPA. The newly constituted Committee meeting was presided over by Governor Punjab Ch. Muhammad Sarwar and it reviewed a number of projects and suggestions to expedite the work on the plan. Khawaja Jalaluddin Roomi apprised the participants that the People of Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Bahawalpur divisions were suffering from different diseases like Hepatitis a, b and c due to non-availability of clean water. He suggested that the Government should revive all abandoned water purification plants besides installation new ones. He further said that general overhauling of idle water plants and changing of their filters on regular basis would ease the difficulties of the masses who were running in search of purified water. He said that philanthropists of South Punjab agreed to own the water purification plants and bear all expenditures to facilitate the people of the area. Chairman of Punjab Aad-e-Pak Authority(PAPA)Dr. Shakil Ahmed said," we are reviewing a number of schemes of purified water in the whole Punjab.We can instal a tubewell where water level is 400 feet deep from the surface.We can operate water purification plants in rural areas with the help of solar energy.Dr. Amjad Saqib said that "Akhuwat" was also considering a number of plans to provide potable water to the people. The governor said it was his life-long dream and objective to provide clean and safe drinking water to people in Punjab as well as in other provinces. He said that he was working on the Aab-e-Pak Authority project for the past one-and-a-half-year since Prime Minister Imran Khan directed him to lead the project and ensure the provision of safe drinking water to people across Punjab. Chaudhry Sarwar said that he was committed to providing the basic human necessity to all people in the province but some black sheep in the bureaucracy were trying to create hurdles in providing clean drinking water to people. “Some bureaucrats think that they will not let the Aab-e-Pak Authority function, even if poor people continue dying for want of safe drinking water,” he observed. He regretted that the procedural snags had almost wasted two long years to keep the authority limping otherwise some 20 million people would now be able to switch to save and clean drinking water.He said that top priority would be given to such areas where arsenic quantity is to a dangerous level like Multan. The meeting was valso attended by Principal Secretary to Governor, Senior member Board of Revenue, Secretary Planning & Development, finance and other departments.
