ISLAMABAD, Nov 28: Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Ghulam Sarwar Khan says the government is taking steps to extend maximum facilities to the expatriates in order to boost their confidence in the government.

He was speaking at a public meeting in Gujar Khan on Sunday, says a press release. The minister said that overseas Pakistanis had been earning foreign exchange for the country which had strengthened the national economy.

He said the government attached top priority to the solution of problems of the expatriates, therefore, it was decided to ensure their representation in the OPF board of governors. He said an OPF public school would be established in Gujar Khan.

Sarwar Khan said efforts would be made to set up Potohar University in Gujar Khan and in this regard he would talk to the Punjab government. Ghulam Sarwar Khan said Sui gas would also be provided in the adjacent areas of Gujar Khan city for which the government had already approved a policy under which the Oil & Gas Development Company (OGDC) was bound to provide gas to the areas coming into the five kilometre radius of the area where exploration was being carried out.

Talking about the other development works required to be carried out in Gujar Khan city, the minister said the Punjab government had been announcing development packages in the province in order to provide basic facilities to the masses.

The minister said the present government had introduced a democratic culture in the country and eliminated the politics of victimization for creation of a conducive environment in the country. He said press was given complete freedom and a culture of tolerance was promoted for the larger interest of the country.

He said the present political setup will complete its tenure and general elections would be held in 2007 according to the schedule, while the local bodies election would be held next year.

Ghulam Sarwar Khan lashed out at the role of the opposition against the present political setup. He said Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif twice got power but they never sat at one place to resolve their differences in a democratic manner that ultimately caused a huge loss to democracy.

He said the MMA long march and a campaign of protest against the government was a conspiracy against the political system, that was "strengthening under the dynamic leadership" of President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.