Khawaja Zaheer Ahmed - PDMA

The Mandate:
MAIN REPORT
CHAPTER-1
THE 2010 FLOOD DISASTER: NATURE, CAUSES
1. On 15 th December 2010, while hearing various HR Petitions [Re: 62/2010,
17/2010 and others], a three-member full bench of the Supreme Court of
Pakistan, headed by Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan vide its Order ANNEX I
(herein below cited as the 15 th December Order), as amended on 4 January
2011 vide Annex I-A, constituted a 4-Member Commission composed of
Barrister Azam Khan, Mr. Fateh Khan Khajjak, Mr. A.W. Kazi and Kh. Zaheer
Ahmed, former Provincial Chief Secretaries and Federal Secretaries for factual
determination of below listed thirteen formulations consented to by the parties.
These formulations have been adopted by the Commission as its Terms of
Reference (TORs) which are:-
1) “Whether embankment breaches during the period of high floods in
Indus River are subject to any procedure to be followed by the
authorities at the relevant time, if so, what is the manner of
exercising of such powers and by whom and under what
circumstances?
2) Whether in the floods in River Indus in the months of July and
August, 2010, procedure for embankment breaches was followed
judiciously?
3) Whether before ordering embankment breaches at different places,
particularly at Aliwan and Tori Bund, no procedure was followed, if
so, who is responsible for the same?
4) Whether before embankment breaches at different places,
precautionary measures were adopted, particularly in view of
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