LAHORE, March 29: President Pervez Musharraf has said the days of cheap food are over, and emphasised that food security has to be ensured.

“Food grain (wheat) shortage will hit the world because the focus now has been on maize and animal fodder,” he made an observation at the inauguration ceremony of Cardiac Centre at the Combined Military Hospital on Saturday.

“We should keep fighting extremism and terrorism, but that can be done only if there is political stability in the country. For the purpose, we have to focus on ways and means to combat challenges like energy crisis, especially hike in fuel and edible oil prices, ensuing food shortage and the rising fiscal deficit in the balance of payment,” he maintained.

The fiscal deficit could be reduced by generating more revenue by broadening tax net, concentrating on increasing remittances, exports and foreign investments in the country. “In order to achieve the goals, bold decisions are required. Show the will to execute and keep economics out of politics,” the president said.

Terming the Lahore CMH initiative to set up the cardiac centre a milestone in the field of healthcare of serving and retired troops and citizens, Musharraf hoped that it would serve as an alternative specialised facility like the one in Rawalpindi.

He appreciated the steps taken by Lt-Gen Shafaatullah Shah for the uplift of Lahore cantonment. “A student of the Lahore Institute of Vocational Training, set up by Gen Shah, is getting a lofty salary in the US,” he said and added that the army had opened educational and medical institutions in far-off areas of the country. “Gen Kayani has recently opened children’s hostels in various garrisons that would help a number of students,” he added.

Expressing reservations about the name of the CMH Medical College, he observed “why don’t we call it Garrison Medical College?”

Earlier, Lahore Corps Commander Lt-Gen Shafaatullah Shah said in his welcome speech that heart diseases had increased manifold over the last few years and the army had one specialised cardiac facility in Rawalpindi while at Lahore CMH only ECG facility was available. It was the realisation that led to construction of the 72-bed cardiac centre at the Lahore CMH. The construction of the centre was completed in record 16 months.

Manned by 234 personnel, the new centre would be fully functional by May this year. However, cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, pump perfusionists, nurses and paramedical staff have joined the new centre and started performing procedures like angiographies, angioplasties, open and close heart surgeries with the help of the latest equipment.

The centre would not only cater to the needs of serving and retired army personnel of Lahore and neighbouring cantonments, but also accommodate the general public of these areas.

Lt-Gen Shafaat said in line with the desire of the chief of army staff to celebrate 2008 as the year of soldier, a number of welfare projects pertaining to troops health had been planned in Lahore Garrison which would be of tremendous benefit to the soldiers who form the backbone of any army and during an active combat, provide the army its cutting edge.

The first batch of students of the CMH Medical College had the highest pass percentage in the examination conducted by the University of Health Sciences. The college building would be completed by year-end while classes in dentistry would be launched in October.

The trauma and the cardiac centres at the CMH were constructed by the 4th Corps out of its own resources. Construction of the two centres was completed at a cost of Rs420 million in December last year while the diagnostic centre would be ready by the year end. A teacher training centre also would be set up at the garrison, the corps commander added.

Later, the president and the chief of army staff visited various sections of the cardiac centre and appreciated the efforts involved in translating this dream into reality.

Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool, caretaker chief minister Ijaz Nisar, outgoing chief secretary Salman Siddique and other senior civil and military officers attended the ceremony.

Our Sheikhupura correspondent adds: President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday said the country was facing a severe threat of terrorism, which could only be overcome by political stability.

He was addressing a select gathering here under a very tight security at the inauguration ceremony of the University of Engineering and Technology campus at Kala Shah Kaku.

He said he had fulfilled his promise by conducting a fair and peaceful election and he fully respected the people’s will. He said that he would fully cooperate with the newly-formed government and would not prove a hurdle to its smooth functioning.

He said he had brought the country on the track of true democracy and it was time to reconsider all `bad policies’.