KARACHI, July 12: President Pervez Musharraf has reaffirmed his commitment to socio-economic uplift of people, declaring that basic facilities of education and health will be provided to all segments without any discrimination. He was speaking at the formal launching of a joint study conducted by Pakistani and Saudi researchers in the context of ‘Retrodifferential Autologous Stem Cells Technology’ at the Orthopaedic and Medical Institute (OMI) here on Tuesday.

The president said the vision for a strong and progressive Pakistan was gaining significant pace with focus on mitigating the suffering of hapless individuals.

He was also extremely appreciative of the fact that the researchers’ study was also being complimented by the introduction of a delivery mechanism under which the very technology could also be applied in remotest parts of Pakistan benefiting the children suffering from Thalassemia and also those inflicted with a wide range of other ailments, including diabetes type-one, hepatitis and spinal cord injury.

“I am glad to notice that this validated retrodifferential stem cell technology would be available shortly. Once it gets acceptability and recognition, Pakistan too would be included among the countries making inroads in this technology, which could undo damage caused to different parts of human body.”

The president acknowledged that Muslim woman scientist Dr Irham Abu Jidal following a strenuous exercise spread over a 15-year period was able to offer a new hope to many of the people suffering from otherwise incurable diseases.

Efforts put in by the Principal Investigator of the study at the OMI Hospital, Dr Tasneem Ahsan, and her team of co-researchers, including Dr Shakil Rizvi, were also appreciated.

Equal emphasis was also being laid on prevention, President Musharraf said lauding the efforts and contribution made by medical researchers which was also corroborated by senior scientists and experts of the country including Dr Attaur Rehman, Surgeon General, Pakistan Army, Dr Afzal and other individuals of repute.

The president observed: “While the technology, in process of being introduced, also caters to treatment of hepatitis, we in Pakistan realise that almost 60 to 70 per cent burden of diseases in the country are due to water-borne infections.”

He pledged across-the-board access to safe and clean water for the country’s population.

He pointed out proudly that it were again Pakistani scientists who successfully developed an indigenous technology, paving the way for cost-effective water treatment plants, worth a mere Rs35,000 each, with a capacity to purify huge quantities of water.

The plants cited to require a single room with taps would be installed in villages and small towns across the country helping people to receive safe water.

One the occasion, President Musharraf appreciated Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s efforts for socio-economic development of the country. “Having gained economic stability, we are now focussing on uplift of the masses,” he said, adding that he would personally supervise the programmes of providing equal opportunities of education, safe environment and health care to all.

The water plants would also be installed in Karachi, said the president who was confident that the entire country would have safe water by 2007.

He said the focus would not only be on safe drinking water, but also on its availability in adequate quantity for agricultural purposes.

“Pakistan’s economy is basically agrarian and efforts are required to strengthen the facilities required by farmers.”

President Musharraf said that he would personally oversee the campaign aimed at achieving the UN-designated Millennium Development Goals for which funds were being made available by the UNDP.

Under the very strategy, besides providing safe water to people across the country, a system of vigilance and monitoring is also being introduced to ensure that quality health care is available to all.

The president reiterated the government’s resolve to achieve the goal of universal education for all Pakistanis.

He told the gathering that provision of electricity in all parts of the country by 2007 was among the government’s priorities as this would greatly contribute to sustained development at grass-roots level.

The government, he said, was also striving for attracting investment as part of its endeavours to accelerate the pace of development. He referred to another Centre of Excellence of Molecular Biology in the University of Punjab where cells were being produced for treating damaged heart.

“There are exciting developments with stem cell technology giving hope to many and emerging as a viable source to combat dreadful diseases,” he said.

The government realized the importance of science and technology and was making massive investment in higher education. There had been 1000 per cent increase in provision of resources in the field, he said.

“Consequent to our efforts, we witness that the number of research publications of Pakistani scientists has doubled in a span of a few years which is expected to bring a new era of prosperity complemented by a surge in the number of PhD students.

“Until 2000, we had just 20 to 25 PhD students in the wide discipline of science and technology which has currently grown to 800 and expected to reach 1000 in the next two-three years,” he said.

The president recalled that during his recent visit to Australia and New Zealand, he convinced the two countries to accommodate another 700 young Pakistani researchers under a scholarship programme in their hi-tech training institutions.

He praised doctors and researchers for their sincerity and support in making Pakistan a progressive and forward-looking country.

RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS: President Musharraf stressed that students of madressahs should be brought into the mainstream of education and provided with opportunities for formal education and professional qualification.