LAHORE, NOV 09 : Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar has said that the money Pakistanis donated to the dam fund set up by the Supreme Court of Pakistan is safe and is generating profit.

Speaking to journalists at a private event in Lahore, Justice (retd) Saqib Nisar said that people should not worry about that money, which, according to him, is being kept in a State Bank of Pakistan account.

Justice Nisar claimed that the money was generating profit. “People should rest assured. I and my team are keeping guard on the dam” project, he said. He said the money could be withdrawn only after approval from a SC bench.

Justice Nisar said the work on Mohmand Dam was progressing at a rapid speed. The SC had instructed to set up a fund to collect money for the construction of the Diamer-Basha Dam. Subsequently, Mohamad Dam was also included in the fundraising project.

Justice Nisar, who was the chief justice at the time, said that he would keep a watch on the dam project by camping at the site after his retirement. Thousands of people from Pakistan and overseas donated to the dam fund.

 However, the fund could raise only about Rs13b against the estimated cost of Rs479 billion to construct the Diamer-Bhasha Dam. The money was later invested in different projects, with a webpage on the SC website keeping track of the transactions. The last transaction is dated April 23, 2021.

Justice Saqib Nisar also spoke about rising inflation. He said inflation was a worldwide phenomenon but the government should take steps to control it. The former chief justice is in Lahore where he has attended weddings and other private events. After retirement in January 2019, he left Pakistan to live in London for several months.