SUKKUR, Dec 14: President Gen Pervaiz Musharraf has directed the oil, gas and power companies and industries based in Ghotki district to cooperate with the district government for development of the area.

He was talking to the heads and representatives of different companies and industries at the residence of Ghotki District Nazim Sardar Ali Gohar Khan Mahar on Sunday.

Lt. Gen. (Retd) Mohammad Afzal Janjua, managing director, Mari Gas; Zafar Ahmed, president, Engro Chemical Pakistan, Daharki; the top brass of Fauji Fertilizer-III, Mirpur Mathelo, Liberty Power Plant, the OGDCL’s Qadirpur gas field, Petronaz, and others were present on the occasion.

The president called for providing more job opportunities to the local people by opening technical schools, training institutes in the area besides granting scholarships to deserving students.

He asked the multi-national companies to help the district government by constructing a link road up to the National Highway, for facilitating the area people.

The president also stressed the need for setting up of water desalination plants in the desert of the district with the capacity of 10,000 gallons at the cost of Rs10 million.

Mr Ahmed told the president that his company annually trained more than 100 apprentices, majority of them from Sindh, and later appointed them on different posts. The Engro also ran some schools and hospitals in the area, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Janjua said that his company had spent Rs300 million on different projects of Ghotki district, including a 50-kilometre road and schemes in education sector.