President Asif Ali Zardari Thursday directed Ministry of Finance and Planning Commission to visit Gilgit Baltistan to resolve issues related to the development projects. The President also said that Bhasha Dam would be inaugurated soon and also directed for the up gradation of Gilgit airport with night landing facility.
Syed Mehdi Shah, Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Thursday called on President Asif Ali Zardari here at Aiwan-e-Sadr along with his cabinet and discussed the issues of development projects of Gilgit-Baltistan. Senior Minister for Food Muhammad Jaffar, Law Minister Wazir Muhammad Shakeel, Finance Minister Muhammad Ali Akhter, LG & RD Minister Muhammad Ismail, Works Minister Muhammad Naseer Khan, Health Minister Haji Gul Bar Khan and Advisors to CM-GB Mrs Sadia Danish and Aftab Hyder were present on the occasion.
They disused issues relating to Bhasha Dam, situation in Gilgit-Baltistan with reference to development of the area, various mega projects, role of BISP in GB and other related matters with the President during the meeting. The President directed that the representatives of Ministry of Finance, Planning Commission and the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan should visit Gilgit Baltistan to resolve various issue related to the developmental projects.
The President said that the Government was committed to the uplift of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan by focusing on bringing in socio-economic development in the region. He said that the Party gave political representation to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan for the first time and keeping with that spirit, the people's representatives need to gear up their efforts for addressing the issues of the people and to be more responsive to their needs.
He said that Gilgit Baltistan was one of the areas where there was immense potential for attracting foreign investment. Being the water bank of Pakistan, it not only offers excellent investment opportunities for hydal power projects but also tourism, mineral and agriculture sectors for both the international and the local private investors. The President said that there was a need to gear up efforts to highlight the investment potential in the area, on one hand, and to neutralise negative perceptions about law and order situation, further improving communication network and enriching human capital, on the other, so that the available opportunities could be fully exploited.
Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah extended invitation to the President to visit the area. The President, accepting the invitation, said that he would visit Gilgit-Baltistan soon. Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Federal Minister for Finance, Revenue & Economic Affairs, Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, Rehman Malik, Federal Minister for Interior, Salman Faruqui, Secretary General to the President, Planning Commission Secretary Javed Mehmood were also present besides other senior officials. The meeting was also attended by Ms Mehreen Anwer Raja and Ms Rukhsana Bangash. The delegation thanked the President for his keen interest in the development of the area.
Comments
Comments are closed.