MULTAN, April 5: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Raheem has said the country needs leadership of President Gen Pervez Musharraf for another term to ensure continuation of policies, which have brought about robust economic development. “We need him for another term while keeping in view the international scenario and to ensure continuation of policies,” he said while talking to journalists at the residence of PML leader Ghulam Yazdani Gillani here on Wednesday.

Answering a question, he said, “There exists a provision in the constitution that allows delay in general elections for a year. We will advise President Musharraf to seek vote from the assembly for election as president for the next term.”

Punjab Agriculture Marketing Minister Rana Qasim Noon, Senator Javed Ali Shah, former MNA Sheikh Tahir Rasheed, Syed Tanveerul Hassan Gillani and other PML leaders were also present.

Arbab Ghulam Raheem said economy was improving in Sindh as was the agriculture sector. “Our crop management is improving with cotton, wheat and rice showing good production results and growers getting due return,” he added.

He said sugarcane crop was not recording a bumper production, but farmers got good price.

He said our economy was agriculture-based and its remarkable development was translating into employment opportunities for rural-area youth.

He said water was the foremost requirement for the agriculture sector and President Musharraf had a vision to give a boost to rural economy and meet future requirements of agriculture sector.

To a question about dams, he said conducive environment existed and the announcement of Bhasha dam project by President Gen Pervez Musharraf was a testimony to this fact.

The Sindh government was also adopting measures to improve education sector.

About the high prices of cement, he said, “Factories are responsible for this,” but also admitted that the high cement demand owing to the reconstruction in the wake of earthquake was also a contributing factor.

He, however, added that things could be brought under control through exporting cement.

Earlier, the Sindh chief minister attended a reception hosted in his honour by PML leader Sheikh Tahir Rasheed.—APP