The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Livestock and Fisheries Department has conducted Pakistan’s first-ever e-auction for fishing rights in public water bodies, marking a major step toward digital governance and transparent fisheries management.
The first online auction was held for Zebi Dam in Karak and concluded on Wednesday through a fully digital bidding process.
Arif & Brothers emerged as the highest bidder with an offer of Rs. 3.051 million, compared to the reservoir’s previous lease value of Rs. 1.2 million. The new bid represents a 155% increase in government revenue.
According to officials, the system removes middlemen, reduces human intervention, maintains a complete digital audit trail, and supports real-time competitive bidding. Eligible individuals and companies from across Pakistan can also participate remotely.
The department expects the system to improve transparency, strengthen public confidence, support ease of doing business, and generate higher returns from public assets.
Following the successful Zebi Dam auction, the department plans to e-auction fishing rights for 17 more public water bodies, including Tarbela Dam, through the same platform.
It is also developing a Digital Reservoir Management System (DRMS) to support scientific monitoring, conservation, resource management, and evidence-based policymaking for the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Livestock Secretary Zariful Maani said reserve prices for all 17 dams and reservoirs had been set for the 2026-29 lease period after assessing the fisheries production and revenue potential of each water body.
He said the revised reserve prices were more than double the previous lease amounts in most cases, reflecting the untapped economic potential of the reservoirs.
The biggest increase has been proposed for Tarbela Dam, where the reserve price has been raised from Rs. 150 million to Rs. 350 million.
The reserve price for Gomal Zam Dam has increased from Rs. 19 million to Rs. 30 million, while Jalozai Dam’s reserve price has jumped from Rs. 2.7 million to Rs. 34 million.
Mardankhel Dam also attracted the highest bid of Rs. 536,000. No individual or company had submitted a bid for the dam during the previous manual auction for the 2023-26 period.
The department has also set reserve prices for dams that remained unauctioned during the previous cycle, bringing more public assets into the government’s revenue stream.
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