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ISLAMABAD, April 22: President General Pervez Musharraf said on Saturday that Kalabagh dam would be constructed at all costs because of the acute shortage of water in the country.
“About 75 to 80 per cent of the people support construction of Kalabagh dam,” the president told the Students’ Convention 2006 at the Jinnah Convention Centre here.
President Musharraf said he was committed to addressing issues such as the construction of water reservoirs, including Kalabagh dam, and problems regarding development at the grass root level in Balochistan.
“I want to address these issues in the interest of continued development of Pakistan.”
The president said he had put national interest above all other considerations. “I shall address these issues as I want to do something for Pakistan,” he said.
Speaking on Balochistan, he said an overwhelming majority of people in the province wanted socio-economic progress and observed that “only a handful of anti-development elements” were creating hurdles in the way of the common man’s progress.
“They do not want to see the people progress and prosper as they want to perpetuate their rule over them,” he said.
The government, he said, will establish the rule of the law all over the province and provide economic opportunities to the common man.
“Pukhtuns want peace and development in the province but Bugtis, Marris and Mengals are creating hurdles in the way of development.” These people, he said, are involved in bomb blasts, rocket attacks on oil and gas installations and killing of government officials.
“These sardars are getting money and weapons from abroad and they have their private militias comprising 6,000 personnel,” he added.
Gen Musharraf said that Rs125 billion was being spent on the development of Balochistan. He dispelled the impression that an “East Pakistan-like situation” was again emerging in the country. He also said a constabulary was being formed in Balochistan.
The president said that Rs10 billion was being allocated every year for the uplift of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).
In his more than three-hour interaction with the students, the president spoke about a host of challenges facing the country and vowed to gear all efforts for its socio-economic progress.
HIGHER EDUCATION: “The budget for higher education has been increased from a mere Rs500 million in 1999-2000 to Rs11.2 billion this financial year,” the president said amid a round of applause from students representing universities from across the country.
Similarly, he said, the overall annual budgetary allocations for education have seen an unparalleled rise during this period.
The government has accorded high priority to advancement in the field of science and technology.
He said six engineering universities would be established with the help of advanced countries and each of these would contribute significantly to preparing Pakistani youth in meeting the challenges of the times.
STRATEGY: President Musharraf said the government was pursuing a far-reaching human resource development strategy aimed at befitting utilisation of power potential of the nation.
According to him, the strategy revolved around poverty reduction, realisation of better health facilities and improved standards of education at all levels.
“Our objective is to blend higher education with requirements of industrial progress - at the same time, we are setting up technical institutes under a separate department to raise a skilled workforce - these steps will certainly bring more foreign investment and lead to continued development,” he stated.
TERRORISM: The president reiterated his pledge to isolate extremists and wipe out terrorism saying there was no room for either terrorism or extremism in the country.
He called upon students to stand against the tide of extremism and terrorism which posed a threat to the country’s existence.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES: In response to a query, he said the government had introduced “systemic changes” to provide equal opportunities of development to both men and women. “We are taking steps to make women economically strong,” he said.
He said the country could not make progress without merit. “In the past, corruption and nepotism was on the rise but now we are eliminating such a culture,” he said. He said he would encourage an era of competition which would allow virtually anybody to come forward and attain a high position.—Agencies
