Pervez Musharraf destroyed peace in Balochistan, said Federal Science & Technology Minister Mir Changez Khan Jamali at the 2nd Corporate Ambassador Awards 2012, where the minister was the chief guest.
He said that Musharraf is responsible for the situation that the nation is currently witnessing in Balochistan.
“There was no need to make our own people our enemies. We know the motives of the external forces that want to destabilise Pakistan and we should not support these evil forces,” he added.
Jamali said that Balochistan is the future of Pakistan and that the province has an enormous potential of growth and investment.
He said that Balochistan could turn into a Manchester or a Dubai in the future, if things return to normal there.
“I belong to Balochistan, and my heart bleeds when I see disturbance and the critical law and order situation there. We have inherited filth of the past,” he added.
The minister said that the government is making its utmost efforts to bring the situation of Balochistan back to normalcy.
He also said that he has demanded funds of over Rs 100 billion from the government in the coming budget to magnify development in the science and technology field.
“A few days ago, I held a meeting with the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission and asked him to earmark at least one percent of the gross domestic product – a little over Rs 100 billion – for the development of science and technology in Pakistan,” he added.
He said that adequate funds must be allocated in the new budget to promote development of science and technology in the country.
He further said that by December 2011, the number of people using the Internet increased to 2.1 billion and 44 percent of them are Asians.
About 555 million websites are available online, whereas in 2011 alone, 300 million new websites were created all over the world, he added.
In other words, he continued, more than 50 percent of the global websites were created in 2011, which shows a robust growth just in one field of the modern technology.
Former Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry president Majyd Aziz said that the government must make serious efforts to promote technology in Pakistan.
He said that there is enormous potential of growth and investment in the field of science and technology in the country.
He urged the science & technology minister to use his influence to motivate the government to support development of technology and exports.
Later, the minister gave awards to Silkbank, EFU General Insurance, Majyd Aziz, showbiz icon Roomi Syed, performing arts expert Faisal Malik, National Centre for Maritime Policy Research Director General Pervaiz Asghar, and senior diplomatic affairs journalist Zahid Karani.
Other dignitaries and organisations that received awards or shields included Power Group Director Muhammad Ashraf Shaheen, senior business journalist Erum Zaidi, Citi Bank Security Chief Col (retd) Sabahuddin Chaudhry, the Pakistan National Accreditation Council, the Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority, the Pakistan Council for Scientific & Industrial Research, Corporate Ambassador Associate Editor Muttahir A Khan (who was also the host of the function), and co-host Samreen Hameed.
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