PESHAWAR, July 3: Tehrik-i-Istaqlal President Rehmat Khan Wardag said on Saturday that only the construction of Kalabagh Dam and other water reservoirs could arrest the growing poverty in the country.

Speaking at the Guest Hour programme of the press club, Mr Wardag said 20 million acres would be brought under cultivation with the construction of the dam.

"With the construction of the Kalabagh Dam and other reservoirs, electricity tariff will drop and industry will flourish," he said.

He said industries were getting electricity at up to Rs25 per unit and if the situation persisted the sector would collapse after the implementation of the World Trade Organization.

He said a large area of wasteland would be made cultivable, a large number of people would get employment and wheat shortage would be overcome if the projects were undertaken.

He said around 70 million people in the country were living below the poverty line. He said the government should initiate projects to help eradicate poverty.

"If the $12.5 billion foreign reserves are not spent on people's welfare, those would be of no use," he said.

He said the retirement age of government servants should be decreased to 55 years and retired employees given full benefits. "It will create job opportunities for educated youth," he said and added that recruitment should be made on merit.

He said the change in the government would bring a positive change and Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain should leave his office as per the understanding.

"People like Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leaders Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and some MPAs from Punjab have started demanding that Mr Hussain should not leave his office and I fear such a step would lead to political instability," he said.-PPI