18 January 2004	Sunday	25 Ziqa'ad 1424

ISLAMABAD, Jan 17: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Friday expressed confidence that the mega development projects currently being executed in Balochistan would usher in a new era of progress and prosperity in the country.

He was talking to a five-member delegation from Balochistan headed by Qurban Ali Talal, that had called on him at Prime Minister's House.

Jamali said the government was striving to bring the underdeveloped areas of the country at par with the developed ones.

"Provision of basic necessities of life to the people is being accorded significant priority along with improvement in health and education facilities, expansion in the network of roads and highways," the prime minister said.

He said the government was alive to the problems being faced by the people, particularly unemployment, and was making efforts for generating more employment opportunities in various fields.

The prime minister said, the wireless telephone project was also initiated with the view to improving the communication network to serve the remote and far-flung areas of the country.

Members of the delegation felicitated the prime minister on organizing the highly successful 12th Saarc Summit and adoption of the 17th Constitutional Amendment Bill by Parliament.-APP