Gilani inaugurates PAKSAT-1R project

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani at the inauguration of Satellite Ground Control Station & commencement of PAKSAT-1R COMMUNICATION SERVICE on Saturday said that PAKSAT-1R satellite project is yet another manifestation of the long-standing strategic relationship between Pakistan and China, adding that this has taken time-proven friendship to new heights.
He expressed pleasure that PAKSAT 1R has reached its intended orbit and all subsystems are functioning perfectly. The PAKSET- 1R was launched on August 12 from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre by China Great Wall Industry Corporation (Cawie). It was moved to its designated position at 38 degrees East longitude in the geo-stationary orbit to replace the existing satellite Pakistan 1. It has 32 trans-transponders with three communication antennas to cover the whole of Pakistan and 75 other countries across Asia , East Africa and part of western Europe.
The Prime Minister said that application of space technologies is contributing significantly to socio-economic and security concepts of the developing countries like Pakistan. He said that with this realisation in mind he approved Pakistan''s Space Vision-2040 earlier this year, adding that successful launching and commissioning of PAKSAT 1R marks the first significant step towards realising the Space Vision.
He said that communication satellites were playing a vital role across the world over in bridging the digital divide between backward and remote areas and urban centres in the fields of health, education, entertainment and communication service delivery. Gilani said PAKSAT-1R would help to extend the communication infrastructure to the entire country thus bringing the fruits of socio-economic development to the remotest corners of Pakistan. He said that Suparco''s space applications programme was already contributing to various fields, the significant ones being agriculture, crop monitoring, yield estimation, food and water security, improvement of water courses, monitoring of environment, disaster monitoring and mitigation, land cover use and many others.
He said with the availability of communication satellite PAKSAT-1R, significant strides would be made in mentioned areas to give impetus to all walks of national reconstruction and development. The Prime Minister said that besides playing its fundamental role for extending communication facilities, he would urge Suparco and other stakeholders to focus more on tele-education and tele-medicine for improving the quality of life in the remote areas of the country. He said by doing this benefits of the communication satellite services would be extended to the less privileged strata of society.
The Prime minister said that after successful deployment of PAKSAT 1R, he had directed Suparco to focus on the development of Remote Sensing Satellites to ensure that these satellites are developed and launched as envisaged in the Space Vision 2040.
The Prime Minister urged all federal ministries and provincial portfolios to optimum utilise space technology as an instrument of socio-economic development pointing that it was crucial that the space assets that nation acquired were used at best for the national cause. He said that he was sure that in view of Pakistan''s strategic relationship with China co-operation in space technology and its applications would become yet another hallmark of Pakistan-China friendship.
He said academia has a key role to play to spread knowledge about space technology. He emphasised that academic and research institutions need to incorporate aspects pertaining to space sciences, space technology and their applications in their curricula. About close co-operation, collaboration, co-ordination and interaction between Suparco and universities he said it could significantly lead to explore all avenues of space technology.
The Prime Minister expressed pleasure that Suparco, besides other responsibilities was making endeavours to create awareness about the space technology amongst youth. Gilani congratulated the entire nation on the success of the PAKSAT-1R project and assured of all-out support of the Government of Pakistan to the National Space Program.
He expressed happiness that Suparco was taking correct steps to utilise space technologies to improve the quality of life of the people. The Prime Minister said he was sure that with the help of Chinese friends Pakistan would be able to make good progress in harnessing space technologies and realising the goals set in Space Vision 2040.
Talking to journalists, he said that he would give his vision 2030 in near future. He said no legislator could be made without submitting his assets information, adding they had already done so. He said province of southern Punjab or Bhawalpur or Saraki province "or whatever you may name it" would be made with the will of the people in accordance with constitutional requirements. About KB dam he said it could only be made with consensus of all provinces. Punjab Governor Latif Khosa, President of Great Wall Industry Yin Liming and Suparco Chairman Major General Ahmed Bilal attended the function.