All parties will be taken onboard on the Karachi issue, said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thurday. Addressing participants of the inauguration ceremony of Universal Service Funds (USF) project at the Bahawalpur Circuit House, Gilani said the government was taking all possible measures to promote information technology, adding that internet facility would now be provided in rural areas. “We are focusing on imparting computer education,” he stated.
He also inaugurated the Pakistan Software Export Board’s (PSEB) web portal and distributed merit certificates and medals among graduates of PSEB’s internship programme in Bahawalpur and Multan division.
Government was looking to ensure employment opportunities and steps were being taken to provide basic amenities to the common man, the prime minister said.
“We don’t believe in sloganeering. We believe in taking practical steps. We are reviewing the project of building the Faisalabad-Karachi motorway,” he said.
He said the cabinet had decided to take steps to restructure Pakistan Railways and directives had been issued in this regard. He said petroleum products’ prices were linked to international market prices and the energy conference would soon be convened to address related problems. Moreover, he told participants that ending load shedding was the government’s top priority.
Gilani said USF’s project in Bahawalpur showed determination of the government to provide basic telecom facilities in remote areas of Pakistan. He said further that when his government took charge in early 2008, there were 888 underdeveloped mauzas in Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan. However, every village in these districts now enjoyed basic telecom facilities. He hoped that PSEB and USF, under MoIT’s leadership, would continue to implement programmes to strengthen Pakistan’s IT industry and would increase access to ICT technologies for all Pakistanis.
“Skilled and trained human resource is essential for industrial growth and PSEB has been playing an active role in capacity-building of Pakistan’s IT industry. I am pleased that IT graduates of rapidly-developing cities such as Bahawalpur and Multan have an opportunity to benefit from such capacity-building initiatives from the Ministry of Information Technology,” the prime minister said.
Furthermore, Gilani praised the Pakistan Software Export Board for its efforts in developing its web portal for the IT industry. This would help facilitate local IT companies and enhance Pakistan’s image around the globe, he said.
To mark the launch of USF’s telecom services in Bahawalpur, Gilani minister unveiled a plaque and made a telephone call to the remote village in Cholistan desert.
This project was implemented at a cost of Rs 310 million, out of which USF contributed Rs 248 million. The project will approximately benefit 250,000 people, living in the remote areas of Bahawalpur division.