26 July 2004	Monday	08 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

MITHI, July 25: Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz has said the government is determined to make Pakistan a progressive and welfare state and improve living standard of the downtrodden masses.

He was speaking at a public gathering in the Diplo town on Sunday. Mr Aziz, who is contesting for the NA-229 seat in the August 18 by-election, promised a master plan for development of Thar and said that the plan would be implemented after the election.

The minister said that Thar was one of the most backward regions of the country and its inhabitants had remained deprived even of basic amenities. However, he hoped that exploitation of huge deposits of coal and other minerals presented in Tharparkar would bring about an economic revolution in the area, leading to more employment opportunities for local people and alleviation of poverty.

He said that the government had prepared a comprehensive policy for exploration and exploitation of Thar coal and the first coal-based power plant was expected to start functioning in January 2005.

Disputing charges levelled by opposition leaders that government machinery was being used in his election campaign of the finance minister, Mr Aziz said that he himself was bearing expenses of the campaign. He said the election would be held in a transparent manner.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim accused the previous provincial government of selling Sindh's water share through an agreement in 1994. However, he said his government was making efforts to ensure distribution of irrigation water according to the 1991 water accord.

Saying that he had become the chief minister due to the support of people of Thar, he pledged that he would continue to serve them without any discrimination. Dr Rahim appealed to Thar residents to vote for the Pakistan Muslim League candidate in the election.

He denied that people were being pressurized to join the PML. Earlier, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Mohammad Ali Durrani, Aleem Adil Shaikh, Arbab Ameer Hussain, District Nazim Arbab Attaullah, Faqir Sher Mohammad Bilalani, Ramsingh Sodho and others spoke at the gathering.