November 22, 2006	Wednesday	Shawwal 29, 1427

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MULTAN, Nov 21: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday formally inaugurated the Shershah-Lodhran dualised rail track with a pledge that the government will modernise the railways.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Lodhran railway station, the prime minister said that 367-km-long track dualisation plan worth Rs 8.8 billion would help the railways to improve its services. The 72-km-long Sher Shah-Lodhran section has cost Rs2 billion.

Presently, work is on the 49-km-long track dulisation between Multan and Khanewal at a cost of around Rs 1.3 billion, whereas the Khanewal-Raiwind stretch of 246 kms long will cost Rs 5.5 billion.

According to APP, the prime minister said the railway stations were historical buildings and if they were made attractive with beautiful stalls and hotels, people would like to visit them.

He said Pakistan Railways’ valuable asset was its vast lands and if these were sold the department could earn a lot of capital to improve its network and services.

He said a survey was under way to lay railway line from Quetta to Gwadar. He said Pakistan could utilise the Zahedan (Iran) rail link with Europe also.

The prime minister said the government was bringing an overall improvement in the system of logistics in the country and more focus was on the development of ‘north-south logistic chain’, and added that the government was giving importance to the construction of new roads and railway links between north and south of the country besides upgrading the existing links.

Addressing a public gathering, Aziz asked the people to support the Pakistan Muslim League government to ensure continuity of its policies.

He gave an approval to the construction of Lodhran bypass and said the government had already allocated Rs500 million for provision of natural gas to the area.

He also announced provision of natural gas to Duniapur, Kutubpur and Kahror Pucca and gave an approval for the Kahror Pucca bypass.

In a meeting with various PML delegations in Lahdhran, Aziz said Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programmes were aimed at deterring aggression.

Also addressing the public meeting, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi announced that a modern hospital would be set up in Lodhran at a cost of Rs 450 million which would be completed in two years.

He announced setting up of a girls and a boys high school each in all the three tehsils of Lodhran.

LAUDED: Academic Staff Association of Bahauddin Zakariya University was all praise for the policy of upgrading university teachers’ posts on Tuesday.

In a press statement association president Dr Abdul Quddus Suhaib, vice-president Dr Shakeel Ahmad, secretary Dr Prof Saeed Akhtar and other office-bearers welcomed the decision of upgrading the posts of teachers of the Punjab University by the university syndicate and congratulated the vice-chancellor, syndicate members and the PUASA.

They demanded immediate meeting of the BZU syndicate for the upgradation of their posts.

BIOTECH INSTITUTE: The students of the recently established Institute of Biotechnology celebrated its inception here on Tuesday.

The students demanded new building for the institute.

Class representatives Imran Maqsood and Raheela Waheed expressed their happiness on being the pioneers of the new institute.

Ms Raheela said they were facing difficulties because their common classrooms were in the pharmacy department building while the laboratories were in the biology department building.