MURREE, July 7: Inaugurating a Rs600 million gas line project for Murree hills, President General Pervez Musharraf on Thursday declared that Pakistan would meet its growing energy requirements for fast-paced progress both through exploitation of indigenous resources and imports from regional countries.

The president told a public meeting at Lawrence College, Ghora Gali, that the country was strategizing its energy requirements and working on import of natural gas from Qatar, Iran and Turkmenistan and electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

“We are devising a comprehensive strategy to sustain high economic growth and hope to have enough gas by year 2010 from external sources. At the same time, we are exploring gas reserves within the country and achieving success,” he said, after unveiling a plaque at the ground-breaking ceremony of the project.

Pakistan, he said, received a US $1.4 billion investment during the last financial year and described it as a clear sign of international confidence in the country’s economic health.

Referring to the 8.4 per cent economic growth, the president said the government was conscious of sustaining it and had assigned a top priority to fulfilling the rapidly increasing energy needs in both industrial and agricultural fields.

“We will maintain the economic momentum as more investment will generate employment opportunities and reduce poverty in urban areas while greater agricultural output will help reduce poverty in rural areas,” he said.

The government, he said, would encourage hydropower generation and development of the country’s vast untapped coal reserves as part of its drive to minimize Pakistan’s dependence on oil-based power.

Pakistan, he added, will also encourage alternative sources of energy and in this context referred to the 100mw windmill private sector project in Badin (Sindh) as a case in point.

He said the government would provide electricity and clean drinking water to the entire nation by 2007. “I would personally oversee progress of projects aimed at provision of better education and health services, development and poverty reduction at the grassroots level.”

The president directed the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited to materialize the 65-km long pipeline project within one year. The pipeline will bring gas from Wah Hattar and, running through a difficult hilly terrain, would benefit a populace of 45000 in Murree and adjoining hills.

The federal government, the Punjab government and the SNGPL have financed the Rs604 million project.

The supply of inexpensive fuel will help step up socio-economic development and promote tourism activity. It will also stem de-forestation on the Murree hills,” the president said amid resounding applause as the local people celebrated the fulfilment of their long-standing demand.

Gen Musharraf also announced giving funds for the renovation of facilities at the tourist resort of Patriata and a sum of Rs10 million for the Lawrence College.

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said his government had allocated huge sums for development of Murree, adding that a Rs2 billion project will bring filtered water from the river Jehlum to the famous resort. —APP