RAWALPINDI, Dec 26: Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Monday that President General Pervez Musharraf had directed the media to play an active role in creating public awareness about constructing Kalabagh dam and other water reservoirs.

Sheikh Rashid told newsmen here that Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and federal Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao and other officials attended an important meeting with President General Pervez Musharraf about establishment of Kalabagh dam and various reservoirs in the country.

The meeting lasted for more than three hours and important issues were thoroughly discussed in the meeting.

The information minister said the president had stressed the need for the media to be active and play its role in creating public awareness regarding construction of Kalabagh dam and other water reservoirs in the country.

He said that President Musharraf would soon visit Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas and NWFP and announce the construction of Kalabagh dam very soon.

He said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said from time to time that the government would not take any unilateral decision on the construction of big water reservoirs in the country and would certainly take the provinces into confidence first.

Sheikh Rashid said it was fortunate that there were no problems in provision of funds for development from either the federal government or provincial governments.

He said in the presence of Provincial Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja, Rahat Qadoosi, Nasir Raja and MPA Fayaz Chauhan and other high-ups that development projects would be completed —Online