January 19, 2006	Thursday	Zilhaj 18, 1426

KARACHI, Jan 18: President Pervez Musharraf’s address to the nation on Tuesday has widely been hailed by a cross section of people who described his decisions regarding the Bhasha Dam first and the new NFC Award formula as ‘a milestone’.

The president has proved his qualities as a statesman and a symbol of unity of the federation and provinces by keeping in view the aspirations of people while taking the crucial decisions.

Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad said that the nation did need such an impartial, bold and straightforward leadership that could put them on the road to progress and development.

Pointing out that the NFC and other issues were in limbo for years together and no successive government could prove its ability to resolve them amicably, Dr Ibad said that President Musharraf had initiated dialogues on all the unresolved issues at each and every level and respected the opinions of all provinces, as well as masses, on these vital issues.

The governor said that the president’s decisions, made public in his address to the nation, were in the greater interest of the nation and inter-provincial harmony, and the same guaranteed the progress and prosperity. He said the government and people of Sindh would remain indebted to the president for his steps towards uplift of the province.

Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim praised the president’s vision, and recalled that he had always taken the decisions in the best interest of the country and steered the nation out of trial and tribulations.

Dr Arbab said that the people of Sindh were grateful to the president for acting timely by taking decisions of constructing the Bhasha and Munda dams first. This, he added, had decimated designs of anti-state elements out to create dissension and differences by making the Kalabagh Dam an issue.

He hoped that President Musharraf’s decisions would further improve and strengthen the federation-provinces ties.

He observed had the NWFP had not raised any objection vis-à-vis the new formula for the NFC Award. It would have been better but even now, in the given situation, the decision to amend the NFC Award deserved appreciation. Instead of maintaining a status quo, the president took a decision that appeared to be good, he added.

Dr Arbab also thanked intellectuals and people of Punjab for supporting Sindh’s stand on Kalabagh Dam which, he said, helped the president take the decision of constructing the Bhasha Dam first.

He said that the president’s decision, taken in the larger interest of the country, was neither a victory nor a defeat for anyone.

Sindh Minister for Irrigation Nadir Akmal Leghari said that president had boldly accepted the will of Sindh people and had proved himself to be a true Pakistani by fulfilling his promise of considering Sindh’s views on the dams issue, adds PPI.

He termed the decision ‘a land mark’ one.

Senator Bibi Yasmeen Shah and Sindh Minister for Population Welfare Syed Ali Bux Shah said that the president’s decisions on the NFC Award, water reservoirs, and rehabilitation of quake victims reflected aspirations of the entire population of Pakistan.

In a joint statement, they said that the president had displayed his political acumen, farsightedness and statesmanship par excellence.

Sindh Minister for Mines Irfanullah Khan Marwat said that the decisions would prove to be an important milestone in the country’s development.