Daily Times

LAHORE: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz stressed the need for constructing the maximum number of water reservoirs to stamp out poverty and usher in an era of prosperity and economic development in the country.

“We shall take all the parties along in the larger interest of the nation and try to sort out their reservations on dams issue”, the PM told reporters at the residence of the Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi where he met him on Sunday.

Referring to issues he discussed with the Punjab CM, Aziz said the meeting was very useful and issues like education, health and development of the province were discussed.

He appreciated the CM’s pursuit of welfare-oriented policies and said that the burning issue of water reservoirs was also discussed.

The PM also referred to the government’s revival of the Council of Common Interest (CCI), saying that it would help promote a congenial atmosphere among federal and provincial governments.

“The CCI will also provide an effective forum to help resolve certain issues besides coordinating inter-provincial matters between federal and provincial governments,” Aziz said.

“We are working to construct the water reservoirs because there is a dire need for them. Plans for two or three dams will be announced after they are finalised”, he said, responding to query.

“We want to proceed on the dams after taking all parties into confidence and after their apprehensions have been addressed.

Aziz said, “We are storing only nine percent of the water available to us compared to the 40 percent storage in other countries,” adding, “The agriculture sector needs water badly, especially in the lesser developed rural areas”.

“If we want to eliminate poverty, we must build the dams and ensure the amicable distribution of water resources,” he said.

Earlier, the PM visited the Punjab Institute of Cardiology to visit Brig (r) Syed Ejaz Shah, who recently underwent bypass surgery. The PM met Brig Ejaz Shah’s family and prayed for his speedy recovery.

PM Aziz announced the provision of a Cardiac MRI machine for the hospital.

Later, he visited Khabrain Chief Editor Zia Shahid and prayed for his early recovery.

The PM also visited the residence of Haroon Abdullah, who married Ayesha Rehman, daughter of Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief of Jang Group, Mir Shakil ur Rehman last night and congratulated the couple.