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| April 28, 2007 | Saturday | Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1428 |
Army has no business interests: Salman
ISLAMABAD, April 27: Pakistan military has no role in business and President General Pervez Musharraf was elected by parliament through a democratic process, said Dr Salman Shah, adviser to the prime minister on finance on Friday.
Speaking at a news conference on the conclusion of Pakistan Development Forum, Mr Shah said the only business interest the military had in business was through Fauji Foundation and Army Welfare Trust (AWT) comprising retired military personnel.
He said that these businesses were set up through the amounts the personnel received after the Second World War.
He said that the two entities had contributed a lot in the national economy. Apart from that, he said, the other military factories included ordnance factories, ornament factories, tanks and aircrafts manufacturing plans in the public sector which should not be a problem for anyone.
He was asked to comment on a joint statement of the European Union that asked Pakistan to reduce the role of military in business to provide an environment of competition and equal opportunities.
On the military’s role in politics, the advisor said that there was a functional democratic system in Pakistan and the president was elected by parliament through a democratic system.
He said that Pakistan was on the verge of benefiting from its demographic strength because of a majority of its population now entering the working group and timely skill development would benefit the country over the next 50 years.
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