KARACHI, Jan 2: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday asked his comrades to prepare for the general elections next year to achieve the same results which the party had produced in the recent local body elections.

He was addressing party workers at the Muslim League House in which he dilated on water issue in the context of the overall national situation.

The prime minister said the Sindh chapter of the party was being reorganized. The centenary celebrations of the Muslim League would be held with due solemnity, he said.

“The PML is lucky that not many of its members are in the list of the retiring senators,” he remarked.

Mr Aziz said that results of the tests of water samples, collected from the various districts, were alarming as they point at a high degree of contamination, exposing people to various kinds of diseases.

He said that the report of these tests would be sent to the chief ministers and measures would be taken for making water safe for human consumption.

Reiterating the government’s policy on water reservoirs, he claimed that there was a consensus on building such projects for the country’s development and progress. How and where the same should be constructed was being examined by experts, he said, adding that concerns of those opposing the idea would be addressed adequately.

The prime minister, nevertheless, stated that Pakistan’s water storage capacity at the moment was nine per cent which was dwindling rapidly. He said that in order to ensure supply of adequate water to tail-enders, steps were being taken for repair and cleaning of the canal network in Sindh after completion of repair work of the Sukkur Barrage.

He claimed that the national economy was improving and Pakistan’s importance and respect in the comity of nations had tremendously improved while its role had assumed significance in the region. This, he added, was evident from the visit by various foreign dignitaries.

On the occasion, he also assured Kashmiri people that their sacrifices would not go waste and Pakistan would remain steadfast to its principled stand on Kashmir while striving for an enduring settlement that was in accordance with the aspirations of Kashmiri people.

Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim said that on water issue, he had reflected the aspirations of the people of the province. He hoped that the prime minister would respect the will of the people of Sindh.

Sindh Minister for Irrigation Nadir Akmal Leghari, said that allocation for the R&D was being enhanced to provide better education and health facilities to people.

Earlier, the chief minister addressed office-bearers and workers of the Sindh PML and announced that candidates for party leadership and general elections would be selected on merit and according to the scenario in their respective areas, adds APP.

He said that the process of party election would soon be started in order to have a full review of the party.

He said that the PML’s unprecedented success in the local body election was a result of the merit employed in selection of candidates. “We will practise the same in the forthcoming party elections and allocation of tickets to prospective candidates.

He maintained that no complaints were received about the nominations made for the local body election.

“There will be no ‘pick and choose’ and only genuine candidates having a strong position in their respective constituencies will be nominated in the general elections so that the party reaches to the grass-root level.”

This would ensure lessening of liabilities on the party, he noted.

Dr Arbab said that he had always talked of the interest of the people of Sindh. “I again appeal for respecting the views of Sindh people as they are patriot. The Sindh Assembly has the privilege of have passed the Pakistan Resolution before others did,” he said.

He thanked the prime minister for visiting the PML House and addressing the party’s office-bearers and workers. “Shaukat Aziz is the only prime minister who has addressed PML workers at the PML House,” he noted.