Kalabagh Dam for financing assistance, but due to strained relations with Afghanistan (a Soviet ally), this request was denied. The government then approached the World Bank, which agreed to finance the project. At this point in Pakistan's history, previous dam projects such as Mangla (under Ayub Khan) and Tarbela (under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) never faced any opposition. Even Kalabagh was approved by the Central Development Working Party, without dissent. The issue of Kalabagh started to become politicized after the execution of the former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a highly popular leader from the downstream province of Sindh. Adding to the controversy,
Mangla Rai his father and uncle were residing and pursuing their professional careers. In Rangoon, Mangla started taking lessons in wrestling. In those days the great wrestler Shiv Murat Tiwari of Benaras was also practicing in an Akhara in Rangoon. He saw the physique of this young aspirant and began to train him. Shiv Murat Tiwari made Mangala a master of south-east Asian moves of wrestling. After a few years Mangla Rai came back to his motherland but he never forgot his first guru. He named his elder daughter 'Shiv Murat' paying gratitude to his guru. Mangla Rai followed a tough regimen