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Backers from Gulf funding Taliban: Holbrooke
Urges international community to help Pakistan deal with refugees
Sharafat Kazmi
Islamabad—Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani says increasing
power generation is the top priority of the government and
development funds have been diverted to meet the energy shortage.
Talking to media after a ceremony to inaugurate a pharmaceutical
plant here at the PM Secretariat, Tuesday, he said the leadership of
the country is fully cognizant of the problems being faced by the
masses.
The Prime Minister said shortage of electricity is a matter of
serious concern for both the industry and the public and he would
soon convene a meeting of the four Chief Ministers to discuss the
matters.
Answering a question regarding Balochistan, the Prime Minister said
the province was deprived of its genuine rights in the past. He said
it is time to resolve the problems of Baloch people and give them
their due rights and share in the national development.
He said the government will take on board all stakeholders while
implementing the suggestions of the Parliament Committee on
Balochistan.
The Prime Minister said shortage of electricity was a matter of
serious concern for both the industry and the public and he would
soon convene a meeting of the four Chief Ministers to discuss these
matters and austerity measures.
The Prime Minister to a question said most of the circular debt has
been cleared and added that with a cut on the development funds the
rest would also be retired.
About the use or rental power, Gilani said the issue of power
deficiency was being addressed through a comprehensive strategy and
the entire focus of the government was on resolving this serious
issue.
He said the leaders of Pakistan stand with their people and as they
were enduring load-shedding, he too had ordered strict compliance of
no-use of airconditioners before 11 am.
Even if the army chief or ambassador Anne W Patterson comes to me
before that time, we use pedestal fans,” Gilani said.
Referring to his decision on the local government system, Gilani
said he has submitted his recommendations to the President and the
MQM was fully onboard.
Earlier, addressing the ceremony Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza
Gilani Tuesday said the government was endeavouring to achieve the
vision of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto on healthcare by delivering higher
standards and access to medical facilities for all.
Inaugurating a joint venture of Ferozsons Laboratories Ltd and Bago
Group of Argentina to produce vaccines for hepatitis and cancer here
at the PM Secretariat, Gilani said expansion and development of
health sector was the cornerstone of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir
Bhutto’s vision for Pakistan .
Prime Minister Gilani said she was the pioneer of Pakistan ’s
Primary Health Programme, which has today expanded to over 100,000
Lady Health Visitors and is quoted in other countries as a model
programme.
Under the joint venture, a modern plant has built on 27 acres in
Lahore to manufacture biogeneric medicines for local and export
markets.
Gilani said the joint venture would attain special significance,
since it has the potential to play a central role in Pakistan ’s
battle to tackle Hepatitis C and Cancer on war-footing.
He said the government has expanded the resources allocated to Prime
Minister’s Emergency Action on Hepatitis to reach out to the over 11
million people, or nearly 7 percent of population infected.
He said in next 5 years, government plans to treat 72,000 patients
of Hepatitis C, over 30,000 Hepatitis B patients and would
administer over 8 million doses of Hepatitis B vaccine.
The prime minister said Pakistan faces critical challenges in every
sphere. However, he expressed confidence that the government and
citizens together can rise to successfully confront these.
Our true jihad is against poverty, illiteracy and disease, and
through a win-win partnership between the public and private sector,
we can help Pakistan to regain its rightful place among the comity
of nations,” he said.
He said on economic front, there was a need to focus on increasing
productivity in agricultural sector, and also to diversify the
manufacturing and export base.
He said global market for generic bio-pharmaceuticals was one of the
fastest growing sectors in the world, with expected sales of $ 16.4
billion by 2011 in the United States and European Union alone.
He expressed confidence that in addition to servicing the domestic
market, BF Biosciences Limited would export its products.
The prime minister also directed LESCO to ensure uninterrupted
supply of power to this manufacturing facility so that the process
of manufacturing life-saving drugs continues unhampered.
Gilani also urged investors from Argentina to take full advantage of
the incentives and expand their investment with their Pakistani
partners, in human and animal vaccine production.
He said the livestock and dairy sector was vibrant sector of the
economy with 52.2 percent contribution to the agriculture value
added, 11.0 percent to national GDP and 8.5 percent to foreign
exchange earnings.
Because of tremendous potential of livestock sector, the domestic
demand, export avenues with promising future of world halal food
trade, there was a sound reason to invest in this sector.
He said local production of world class vaccine can give protection
against new variants of Foot and Mouth Disease and was a major
requirement for country’s livestock sector.
He expressed the hope that other investors will also take serious
note of government’s intent to facilitate new investment, and that
in the near future we will see more USFDA-standard plants in
Pakistan in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector.
He also appreciated the gesture by Ferozsons and Bago regarding
foreign training of oncology nurses for the government hospitals in
Pakistan and treatment of 1000 hepatitis C patients.
He said despite severe financial constraints, government has
increased the health budget by over 70 percent to about Rs. 24
billion, including upgradation of a Cancer Ward at Nishter hospital
into a 100-bed Cancer Treatment Facility, and development of a
Cancer Hospital in Quetta at a cost of Rs. 300 million.
Prime Minister Gilani declared bio-science industry as pioneer
industry.
If the domestic and foreign investors continue to support our
efforts in the same way, and share our vision for a prosperous and
healthy Pakistan , we would Insha Allah move towards a bright
future.”
Ambassador Rodolfo Martin Saravia of Argentina, CEO of BF
Biosciences Usman Khalid and Minister of Health Aijaz Hussain
Jakhrani in their views hoped the industry would help the country
meet high demand of modern medicine, besides help it earn revenue
through exports. |
