March, 22 2005	Tuesday	11 Safar 1426

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ISLAMABAD, March 21: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said the government is striving to create greater job opportunities for the people and significant priority is being accorded to skill development by opening a network of vocational training centres across the country. He was talking to Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower Ghulam Sarwar Khan who called on him at the Prime Minister’s House on Monday.

Mr Aziz said skilled workers could earn considerable amount of foreign exchange for the country. Ghulam Sarwar Khan thanked the prime minister for his personal efforts in securing jobs for 100,000 Pakistanis in Malaysia. He told him that a significant headway had been made in this connection and they were expected to receive a go-ahead from the Malaysian government soon.

The labour minister said he would soon be undertaking a visit of Greece, Italy, Spain and Saudi Arabia on the instructions of the prime minister with a view to resolving problems being faced by Pakistani workers in these countries.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Finance Omar Ayub Khan also met the prime minister and discussed with him ways and means to further accelerate pace and expedite progress on development schemes identified by various parliamentarians, particularly those relating to provision of gas and electricity, supply of drinking water and construction of roads. The prime minister assured him that every effort would be made to ensure timely release of funds for their expeditious completion.

MNA Robina Shaheen Wattoo also called on the prime minister and discussed issues relating to development and employment and empowerment of women in the country. Matters pertaining to social sector development, civil society and micro-credit disbursement also came up during the meeting.

The prime minister renewed his government’s commitment to promote welfare of women and said micro-credit if utilized judiciously had the potent to bring about accelerated development of women strata which was endowed with immense potential.