Ruling PML, allies oppose KBD

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday started from Sindh the first round of his countrywide campaign to take all political forces into confidence on the construction of big water reservoirs, including Kalabagh dam.
However, he received strong opposition from the Sindh chapter of his own party as majority of the PML MPAs were of the view that the Kalabagh dam was not in the interest of the province.
The prime minister, who met the MPAs, belonging to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, PML-Functional, PPPP-Patriots and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement at the Chief Minister House here on Friday, did not speak particularly on the Kalabagh dam but the focal point of his meetings was to evolve a consensus on the need for building more water reservoirs to cope with the future demand.
Sources present in the meeting told The News that the prime minister asked the MPAs to give their viewpoint on the need for construction of more water reservoirs, including Bhasha, Skardu, Kalabagh or any other dam.
According to the sources, majority of the Sindh MPAs, including provincial ministers, opposed the Kalabagh dam and said it was not in favour of the province and its people. Some of the participants, belonging to the PML and PML-Functional, asked the prime minister that construction of Kalabagh dam should be announced after 2007, as a prior announcement might affect the PML in the next general elections.
The PML-F members told the prime minister that their party had no objection to the Kalabagh dam but it should be built after removing all apprehensions of the people of Sindh. The sources said four MPAs — Rahila Tiwana, Afshan Imran, Bano Sagheer and Dr Ramesh Kumar — supported the construction of Kalabagh dam and observed that it was in the interest of Sindh and Pakistan.
The sources said a Muttahida delegation led by Dr Farooq Sattar asked the prime minister that party chief Altaf Hussain had already stressed the need for taking all stakeholders, including political and religious and nationalist parties, into confidence before making a decision on Kalabagh or any other dam.
The prime minister assured the delegation that the government would not take any decision in haste. The sources quoted the prime minister as saying that the process of taking political parties and other stakeholders into confidence had started and the government was in no hurry to announce construction of any dam. "It is not a process of one or two months," a source quoted the prime minister as telling the MPAs.
The prime minister assured the Muttahida delegation that his government would consult and take into confidence all the provinces and stakeholders on the issue and a final decision will be taken with consensus.
The sources said provincial Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement pointed out that from Skardu to Kalabagh, there were some five points where a dam could be constructed. "We have to answer people as to why Kalabagh dam only," he said.
The prime minister, however, maintained that the government has received three reports from different committees, including the technical committee headed by AGN Abbasi, which were set up to look into water reservoirs issue. He assured that all reports would be made public and presented to the national and provincial assemblies.
The participants of the meetings also reminded the prime minister that the next general elections were approaching and any decision without consensus would affect the government as well as the reputation of the allied parties.
The prime minister pointed out that there was a consensus in all the reports that water reservoirs needed to be built to meet shortage of water for irrigation and better development of agricultural sector which is the backbone of the economy.
He informed the lawmakers the government would hold a series of meetings to consult the treasury and the opposition as well as NGOs and members of civil society on the issue of water reservoirs.
The Muttahida MPAs congratulated the prime minister on successful holding of local bodies polls. Shaukat noted that people of Pakistan elected moderates and progressive minded people as their representatives and now it was their responsibility to solve their problems on priority basis.

Govt to sustain 6 to 8pc annual GDP growth over next five years: PM
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said the government will sustain 6 to 8 per cent annual GDP growth in industrial agricultural and services sectors of national economy over the next five years.
The government expects $2 to 3 billion in Foreign Direct Investment and portfolio investment in the country during the current fiscal year 2005-06, the prime minister said, while inaugurating First Pakistan Industry Conference & SITE Association of Industry Karachi Export Trophy Awards-2005 on Friday at a local hotel. Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad, Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, federal ministers Jahangir Tareen and Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh were also present.
Shaukat said there has been a record increase of 22 per cent in the country’s exports during first four months of the current fiscal year (July to October, 2005) and over 20 per cent increase in revenue. "We are moving in the right direction and looking for $20 billion exports annually in the next few years. This is our objective." He said the government’s goal was to increase 25 per cent investment to GDP by year 2010 with the cooperation of private sector.
"We are introducing e-governance and setting up industrial parks in various parts of the country." The PM said a recent survey carried out revealed Pakistan was at number 61 to do business out of total of 155 countries. Pakistan is strategically located, with talented manpower, a country of peace in the region with better tax regime, which will be improved further, the premier said.
He said a new initiative to meet needs of electricity within short period through private sector would soon be launched by the government. At the same time, the government will modernise regulations, strengthen contract system for dispute resolution. He said the government was allowing exporters level playing field and according fair treatment. The fair trade means competition. Pakistan will continue in this path.
He said at upcoming World Trade Organisation meeting in Hong Kong, Pakistan will reiterate its stand that it believes in free trade and investment, removal of subsidies on agriculture, etc. Shaukat said tariffs were coming down in Pakistani industry, with increase in productivity and reduction in cost of doing business. Sustaining industrial growth was of immense significance for high growth trajectory.
Macroeconomic stability, fiscal discipline and pursuing a wide-ranging structure agenda have been hallmark of the government. "Our economic philosophy is based on liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation. It is not the business of the government to be in business. "This has led to double digit industrial growth consecutively for last three years. The challenge now is to sustain this trajectory," he observed.
The PM reiterated commitment to continuity and consistency in policy framework, with private sector performing lead role as engine of growth. Federal Production Minister Jahangir Tareen spoke of reforms carried out in last six years, which resulted in huge structural change and brought Pakistan on map of investment and industrial growth in the world.
Chairman SITE Association Dr Ikhtiar Baig thanked President Pervez Musharraf, prime minister and able team of ministers for their consistent long-term business friendly, export oriented, monetary and fiscal policies, which have gained confidence of local and foreign investors and country achieved historic GDP growth of 8.4 per cent in the last fiscal year. Later, Shaukat Aziz gave awards to prominent exporters. The News Internatioanl