MULTAN, May 1: The high voter turnout in the referendum indicates popular endorsement of President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s policies, district Nazims of Khanewal, Vehari and Lodharan and the Multan Naib Nazim said on Wednesday.

They were speaking at a press conference here.

The Khanewal district Nazim, Ahmad Yar Hiraj, said the high voter turnout in his district for both the local elections and the referendum amounted to repeat endorsement of the president’s reform agenda.

He said the large number of people attending the Punjab governor’s public meeting in April had committed their support. The pledge, he said, had been redeemed on Tuesday. He also praised the union council Nazims and councillors for spending “their own money” to mobilize voters.

The Lodhran district Nazim, Abdur Rahman Kanju, said the people voting for the president expected him to ensure economic development of south Punjab. He recalled the president’s campaign promises of supplying Sui Gas to Khehor Pucca and potable water to Duniapur.

The Vehari district Nazim, Mumtaz Khan Khichi, said the people in Vehari considered the president indispensible.

The Multan district Naib Nazim Aamir Dogar hoped that the president would restore democracy and work for economic stability.

He also hoped that motorway from Multan to Faisalabad and the dual carriageway between Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan would be constructed soon as promised by the president during his campaign visit to Multan. The president, he recalled, had also promised Rs50 million for sewers. — NI