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| April 18, 2007 | Wednesday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 29, 1428 |
President hopeful of better ties with India
ISLAMABAD, April 17: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has expressed optimism that relations between India and Pakistan will improve in the days ahead.
Chairing the 60th Formation Commanders’ Conference here on Tuesday, the president expressed satisfaction over the situation along eastern borders and continuation of ceasefire and said it would augur well for the improvement of Pakistan-India relations, says a press release of the ISPR issued here on Tuesday.
The president praised the high level of operational preparedness and training standard achieved by the formations. Development of army would continue commensurate with threat and operational needs, he remarked.
He praised field commanders for excellent performance of troops in multifarious activities and commitments and lauded the spirit of all ranks who participated in a diverse range of missions for the nation. He asked the formation commanders to maintain the same level of motivation among their officers and men.
The day was dedicated to briefings and discussions on matters of professional interest. The conference reviewed operational preparedness, training aspects and administrative matters of the army.
Detailed briefings were given to the participants with regard to the situation along eastern and western borders.
The conference was apprised of tremendous support the army was providing for development of Fata and Balochistan. The conference was informed that a sum of Rs42.05 billion was being spent in Fata over a period of five years to build 1540 kilometres of roads, 906 water schemes, 32 schools and colleges.
Besides, an amount of Rs10-11 billion was being spent on the development of Kohlu and Dera Bugti districts alone, the conference was told.
The conference was told that the army was providing technical education to more than 600 youths of Balochistan and Fata. Special seats have been reserved for the people of Balochistan and Fata in army public schools, military colleges, cadet colleges, PAF School, Sargodha, and some other military establishments. Similarly, special job vacancies in defence-related industry have also been created for the people of Fata and Balochistan.
The participants greatly appreciated the army's contribution and role in the development of Fata and Balochistan. A special mention was made about army's efforts to open up Chamalang coalmines which were closed for the past 30 years due to tribal feuds.
The mines have the potential to generate Rs30 billion a year which will give a tremendous boost to development of the area.
The participants of the conference were apprised of the Pakistan Army's UN Peacekeeping missions abroad. Pakistan is currently the largest troop contributing country in the world with 10,057 troops deployed in 11 UN missions. In addition, Pakistan has sent 130 UN observers and 55 staff officers worldwide.
After the concluding session, President Gen Pervez Musharraf and participants of the conference witnessed a display of indigenously researched and developed weapons and equipment. The president and participants of the conference showed keen interest in the projects and appreciated efforts of all those involved in their development.
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