Ground-breaking of Modern Airport in Islamabad Performed   
By Shoaib Jabbar 'Pakistan Times' Special Correspondent

PIND RANJHA: President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday performed the ground-breaking of a US $400 million modern airport project, saying that it would prove as a step forward to turn Pakistan into a major regional hub for trade, tourism and communication.

The President unveiled the plaque for new a international airport, to be located 30km south-west of Islamabad.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Director General Civil Aviation Authority, Air Marshal Salim Arshad and other senior officials were present on the occasion.

President Musharraf said Pakistan would serve as a communication hub for Central Asia, western China, India and other regional countries and would generate extensive economic activities.

He hoped that the new airport would be one of the best airports in Asia and congratulated the designers and workers on the initiation of this huge project.

He stressed for giving priority to the locals in terms of employing staff for the project.

He urged the Civil Aviation Authority to try to complete the project before the stipulated time of 36 months and said the airport's design should reflect the country's national, cultural and historical heritage.

He said there should also be holistic and futuristic thinking on suggesting the name for the new airport. He said a number of names were being floated, however it was up to the Prime Minister and his cabinet to decide.

Musharraf said the old airport in Islamabad was unable to cater to the growing needs of passengers and cargo.

He said the new airport would be located in an area that had been the cradle of Buddhist civilization and centre of Sikhism, thus also to facilitate the religious tourists.

The President referred to the government's plan for developing the infrastructure of the country to serve as an energy corridor.

The President stressed for increasing communication structure in the country including rail, road, ports and airports. He mentioned Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad's contribution for the uplift of rail structure in the country.

He said Gwadar was also being linked to the Central Asian states through road and rail networks.

Musharraf said the country's economy witnessed unprecedented boom in past seven years. There has been 500 percent increase in the Foreign Direct Investment during this tenure and the FDI rose from 399 million dollars in 1999 to US 3.4 billion dollars last year.

The President said next target for FDI had been set at US$ 6 billion.

Musharraf rejected criticism against the privatization process in the country and cited the example of sale of 10 percent share of OGDC for US$ 811 million.

He said five to six years back, no one ever paid US$ 500 million for the company.

Musharraf said the government was working on a multi-billion rupees project to provide safe drinking water to the people.

He said the government was working on a comprehensive water management strategy to construct canals, dams and bricklining of watercourses to meet the needs of 60 percent of the agrarian population of the country.

President Musharraf said under the safe drinking water project, filtration plants would be installed at every Union Council initially and later be extended to every village with 100 houses or more.

He also urged the nazims to ensure proper maintenance of filtration plants for the provision of quality water.

Musharraf referred to the government's efforts to bring in white revolution in the country and said there was a large potential to increase productivity of milk through artificial insemination and embryo transfer technology.

The President said the subsidy by the government for DAP fertilizer would help increase agricultural yield.●