950804

Many major projects

ensuring rapid uplift

of masses on anvil: PM

SKARDU: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said here on Thursday that her Government was paying equal attention to all areas, including the Northern Areas, in respect of development work which is being vigorously pursued.

She said this while addressing two meetings of members of the Northern Areas Council and notables, on her return from Siachen.

The Prime Minister said, the Government intends to give due attention to the hitherto neglected or remote areas, to make them self-contained and self-managed entities.

In certain areas, she said, development works were already in hand while for others, many major projects are on the anvil. "These selfless efforts are bound to crown with success, by way of ensuring a rapid uplift of the masses", she said.

Tourism, the Prime Minister said, was the mainstay of the Northern Areas, which hold assured prospects of turning tourism into a profitable industry. These prospects would be fully explored and benefit taken of. She agreed that in case the announced tourism policy had any lacunae, the same would be removed.

About job opportunities, Ms. Benazir Bhutto said, the crux of the matter was to extend such education as could absorb the degree-holders in gaining self-employment. No Government alone, she said, could provide employment to all the qualified persons, unless the entrepreneurs and the private sector was coming up to share the task.

"We are not unaware of the state of affairs, in respect of diminishing job opportunities, and are trying to remedy the position to the extent possible, through improved policies and their implementation", she stated.

She reminded the people that the computer age had changed the requirements, and now, only such persons who were equipped with the necessary knowledge, expertise and degrees were finding it possible to obtain jobs locally and in the foreign market. "My Government will make extra endeavours to see that you receive the right type of education with stress on technical lines and professional excellence as makes you a wanted stuff", the Prime Minister asserted.

She hoped that the Northern Areas were in the presincts of the borders of Sinkiang and Wa-Khan and hoped in the wake of restoration of peace in Kabul, an agreement for bilateral trade would be arrived at between Pakistan and Tajikistan. It would open up new vistas of progress for the people of the rugged terrain of Northern Areas, which can find prosperity in the reactivation of the age old 'silver route'.

About direct dialling facility, the Prime Minister said, the facility would be enlarged in due course of time. Likewise, she said, PIA would be asked to ply more flights on this sector.

She felt delighted that the road network in the Northern Areas has over the past improved a lot.

Responding to a demand, she said, the vagaries of nature and the peculiar rugged terrain of this area makes fruit trees and agriculture prone to damage. Compensation could be probed and extended to the extent plausible.

She directed the chief secretary and the forest department to ensure that more and more fruit saplings are planted in the region in the grow-more-trees campaign launched by the environment division.

The Prime Minister agreed that Skardu should have a daily newspaper catering to the local requirements of the area people. She also assured that feasibility of setting up of a PTV station in one of the major towns of the belt would be considered.

On the occasion, the Northern Areas Council members and notables presented their problems for the welfare of their constituents. She gave them a patient hearing and assured the Government's all out help and support.

Among others, Defence Minister Aftab Shaban Mirani; Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Raza Rabbani; chief secretary Northern Areas and other high officials were present on the occasion.-APP