07 July 2004	Wednesday	18 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

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ATTOCK, July 6: The prime minister in-waiting, Mr Shaukat Aziz, said here on Tuesday that he would focus on long-term policies to meet various challenges, like sustaining and accelerating the momentum of growth, creating employment opportunities and eradicating poverty.

He said the main objective would be to improve the infrastructure and make Pakistan a developed and prosperous country. Mr Aziz was addressing a gathering outside the returning officer's office here after filing his nomination papers for the by-election for the NA-59 Attock-III seat.

The seat was vacated by Eman Waseem, daughter of Attock District Nazim and niece of Prime Minister Shujaat Hussain, to enable the finance minister to contest for the National Assembly seat.

Mr Aziz said that if elected he would give priority to developing backward areas and creating job opportunities. Preference would be given to education, health and agriculture sectors in order to take the benefit of development to the masses, he added.

Mr Aziz said he was also aware of the problems faced by the people of Attock and would try to develop the backward district. Mr Aziz said that as many as 15 seats, including one in Fata, had been offered to him, but he decided, with the consent of PML chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, to contest from Attock. Ms Eman Waseem for vacating her seat and giving him an opportunity to contest the by-election from the district.