FATEHJANG, Feb 3: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Saturday said the government was making all-out efforts to transform Pakistan into a strong, vibrant and developed country.

He was speaking at a public meeting here after inaugurating a gas supply project for Qutbal and Hattar villages, besides laying the foundation stone of a basic health unit.

The gas project has been completed at a cost of over Rs4 million and it will benefit about 20,000 people.

The prime minister said construction work on an international airport at Fatehjang had been started and it would be one of the modern airports in Asia after becoming operational in 2010. He gave out his assurance that the local people would be given priority in jobs at the new airport.

Mr Aziz also announced that new equipment would be provided for the Fatehjang hospital.

He said a water filtration plant would be installed in Fatehjang to provide clean drinking water to the local residents. New model villages will also be constructed in Attock and electricity will be generated using solar energy.

The prime minister said the government had taken effective measures to bring down the prices of essential commodities, adding that food items like sugar, pulses and flour were available at affordable prices at the utility stores as well as in the open market.

He also announced his decision to contest the next general elections on the National Assembly seat for NA-49 Attock, and made it clear that the polls would be held in a transparent manner.

“I am very optimistic that people of this constituency will elect me once again,” he said.

Mr Aziz said the government under the leadership of President Pervez Musharraf had fulfilled all its promises of public welfare and development of the country.

The government is also concentrating on the provision of improved health and education facilities, besides development of the agricultural sector, he added.

He said the government had given a subsidy of Rs250 to the growers on each bag of DAP fertiliser besides providing them small loans so that they could help enhance national produce.

Referring to the enactment of the Women Protection Act, he said it was a historical achievement towards the empowerment of women.

Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Amanullah Khan Jadoon said Rs350 million had been earmarked for provision of gas to various villages of Attock district.

He said after the discovery of a number of gas reserves in the country, 83 per cent of the total gas requirement was being met from reserves other than the Sui gasfield.