ISLAMABAD, Sept 6: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Monday inaugurated the construction work of new General Headquarters (GHQ) Complex at Sector E-10 with a pledge to strengthen the nation and defend the frontiers of the country.
The president laid foundation stone of the new GHQ Complex and expressed the hope that the headquarters would be shifted in the shortest possible time. The ceremony was also attended by federal ministers, service chiefs and senior civil and military officials.
Highlighting the importance of all services headquarters at one place, the president said it would not only ensure efficient working environment, but also create familiarity and understanding among the staff of different tiers.
"Services headquarters being at one place will provide more personalized touch in the preparation of plans and in understanding each others style of working and constraints," he said.
Gen Musharraf said time, being a crucial factor in modern warfare, played a significant role in well-coordinated response. "Therefore, after 1965 war, the decision was taken to co-locate the services headquarters at Islamabad. Keeping in view the budgetary constraints, shifting of the three services headquarters was staggered," he said.
Pakistan Navy, he said, had been given priority as it had to shift from Karachi, followed by the Pakistan Air Force that had to shift from Peshawar. The navy has completed the construction of their offices and residential accommodation, whereas PAF is in the process of doing so.
The army took the decision to start its shifting in March 2000, but because of the regional and global developments, it remained pending, he said. "Facilities to be provided in E-10 must be located in a manner that the same can be shared by the residents of neighbouring sectors," he said.
Gen Musharraf said: "In no way, shifting of these headquarters should increase the load on the existing facilities in Islamabad, such as schools and hospitals." He expressed the hope that this project would be able to generate major economic activity in Islamabad.
Following the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the new GHQ Complex in sector E-10, ISPR Director-General Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan informed media persons that the government had earmarked 1,400 acres in Islamabad for construction of the defence ministry and office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
He said due to paucity of financial resources, the construction work of the GHQ Complex could not be initiated, while the Naval and Air Force headquarters had already been set up.
However, he said the government had chalked out a plan to manage resources for the construction of the GHQ Complex. Answering a question, the DG ISPR said the funds for the construction of the building would be managed through sale of surplus land in the different cantonments.
The 25 per cent of the total proceeds from disposal of these plots would be withheld by the government, while the remaining 75 per cent would be allocated for the construction of the GHQ in Islamabad and establishment of new cantonments and garrisons in other parts of the country, he added.
Responding to another question, he said the shifting of the services headquarters to the federal capital was not a new decision, rather it was decided back in 1972 by the joint committee of the then cabinet.
