'Britain is committed to helping Pakistan eradicate poverty'

The UK is committed to helping Pakistan eradicate poverty and the two countries, are working in partnership to accomplish the job, said British Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Gareth Thomas.
He was speaking at a discussion organised by the Department for International Development (DFID) here late on Thursday to have feedback from the British Pakistanis about its various educational and health projects in Punjab and NWFP provinces. DFID has already pledged 200 million Sterling Pounds, over the next three years, for the poverty alleviation in Pakistan.
"The international community is backing Pakistan to eradicate poverty and we are committed to do it. Poverty eradication is our mission in DFID," said Gareth Thomas and hoped he would visit Pakistan some time.
During a lively question-answer session, after the presentation by a senior DIFID's officer Gerry Duffy, the participants asked some searching questions from him. They urged it to ensure that benefits of its development projects reach at the grassroots level. Besides others, it was participated by NWFP Minister for Local Government. Elections and Rural Development Sardar Muhammad Idris, MP Khalid Mehmoood, Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner Murad Ali and Political Minister Abdul Basit.
Gareth Thomas said millions of people are living in poverty and the child mortality rate is very high. The country was facing serious challenges in terms of health and education. Thomas welcomed Pakistan's readmission into the Commonwealth and the decision of Islamabad and New Delhi to continue the peace talks to sort out their all outstanding issues.
MP Khalid Mehmood said the current financial team of Pakistan was working hard to create the business- friendly environment and DFID development projects were setting some very good practices there.
NWFP Minister for Local Government, Elections and Rural Development Sardar Muhammad Idris said Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal(MMA) Government was extending full support to the local bodies system and had allocated the requisite funds for carrying out development work at the grassroots level.
He said 47 percent people live below poverty line in the NWFP, which was more than other provinces hence greater efforts are required to banish it. He expressed thanks to DFID for its budgetary support to the province and its help for under taking income generating projects.
Idris said that as the MMA was from the middle and lower middle class, so both its leadership and Ministers were easily accessible to the common man. Their accessibility has ensured the accountability of the Government as the common man can held the Government officials accountable for their actions.
The provincial Government would generate 60,000 jobs in the next budget but the recruitment would be carried out strictly on the basis of merit, he said.
Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner Murad Ali, in his remarks, thanked Britain for supporting Pakistan's reinstatement in the Commonwealth.
He said Pakistan and India were again back on the negotiating table and the two sides would hold experts level talks on nuclear confidence building measures and the Foreign Secretary level dialogue later this month.
Giving an overview of the country's economy, during past three and a half year, Murd Ali said, it had achieved macro-economic stability following wide- ranging economic reforms. Its Gross Domestic Product has soared from 2.2 percent in 2001 to 6.4 in 2003- 2004 while both the World Bank and Asian Development Bank have appreciated its economic progress.