Speaking at ‘7th Achievement Award Ceremony 2011’ of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) at Expo Centre on Saturday, he said that the government has asked the Indian government to honour water accords with Pakistan.
The Prime Minister said that the government was aware of its responsibility to overcome energy crisis in the country. He said that country’s economy had been adversely hit by the energy crisis.
“Construction of new dams and import of electricity in order to fulfill the energy needs of the country are the priorities of the government”, he added.
Gilani said a committee comprising federal ministers of Finance, Water and Power, Petroleum and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission would submit its report to the federal cabinet soon after Eidul Fitr and committee’s recommendations would bring relief to the masses.
The Prime Minister also said that his government is striving to devise such a system which would help ease people’s problems, saying that the government was working to formulate a modern taxation system in the country.
Lauding the achievements of the business community during the past years despite being faced with international economic crisis, devastating floods and terrorism, Gilani said that our economy had maintained unprecedented stability due to the efforts of the businessmen.
Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa, Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, and Commerce Minister Ameen Fahim were also present on the occasion.
COMMENTS (15)
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Exploitation of water? Doesn't the PM know that Pakistan is facing floods because of lack of dams?
Khurram : Well said, my friend.
Water shortage is a worldwide phenomena caused by global warming. If Pakistan expects India to cut its consumption and compensate for the shortage, it is living in Cloud Cuckooland. Even during the wars, India did not use water as ammo. This baseless propaganda is only making Pakistan look more comical in the international comity of nations. The world stopped paying attention to Pakistani distortions a long time ago.
Our dear Prime Minister may want to avoid being a cheesy populist and realize that we Pakistanis are actually fortunate right now that India is not even withdrawing the full amount of water it is entitled to under the Indus Water Treaty.
Constant chest beating and hatred for India based on delusion has ruined Pakistan. The music has stopped. There is only one chair left. Are we going to sit down or are we going to keep playing the game and losing?
Please wake up fellow Pakistanis. Our textbooks, our politicians, and much of our media (thankfully not ET and Dawn) speak pure lies and insult our intelligence on a daily basis.
What is the point of these veiled threats in public? You have used the mechanics of IWT a number of times so far and been snubbed every time. Even now there is a tribunal deliberating on your wailing and cribbing on the Kishen Ganga project. Yesterday, you went and demanded that all work on that project be stopped forthwith until the tribunal comes to a certain decision. Do you seriously believe that is going to happen? I hope, not. Then why make yourselves look like fools whom no one listens to. Cease those threats, for Pete's sakes! You have cried "wolf" one time too many!
Listening to this man is like listening to a tape recorder. He says the same thing over and over again despite knowing that the proper manner to protest India's construction of dams is through the World Bank. Sounds like nothing more then cheap political points.
Mr. Prime Minister, we badly need to fix our own outdated canal system big time and introduce a cutting edge technology for better management of of our water sources to mitigate most of the losses before pointing finger at India. Since the very birth of my country India has been a sort of punch bag for our leadership, a point scorer with the public an easy excuse to escape resposibility for bad decision making. India has been blamed to be the perpetrator of all of troubles while we are her innocent victims. India may not be our well wisher but we are for selfish reasons our own worst enemies; a great majority of our problems are our own making with input from no other country soon we accept this truth I am sure things will turn around for the better for us.
Im never able to fathom how ET choses a headline for the news....!!!
Our elite is thirsty... give them perrier Mr. India
Does Gilani read the newspapers?
Just when paers of Pakistan are under severe floods he is raising the issue of lack of water flowing into Pakistan from India.
I pity the poor guy~
Why does the prime minister always keep harping abou. If the PM believes India holding back water from Pakistan, why does he not solve the flooding that happens every year without fail. Is this not because Pakistan has no consept on how to conserve the water flowing during the monsoon. Why does the government not build more dams, large water storage facilities, artifical reservoirs along the rivers thereby reducing flooding and have water for the dry seasons. After this has been done and then if you have a shortage only then you have reason to complain.
Instead of spending all the money on armed forces establishment you should be spending the money to improve these facilities, the lives of the middle class and the poor instead of pampering the rich landlords of Panjab because they loose land when these facilities are built.
Have you considered that the dams in India may be in some ways holding back water and preveningt worse floods in Pakistan. You have yet to prove that India is diverting water from the three rivers allocated to Pakistan into India beyond what is in the agreement. It is also a known fact rhat there is one diversion, but the water is diverted back into Pakistan downstream. It is no use blowing hot gas. Put the facts on the table.
This seems like a good step forward and hope that the outcome of neutral expert will help settle all conspiracy theories about India stealing water from Pakistan's share.
But there is also a likely chance (in case the decision goes against Pakistan) that the "neutral" expert will be declared a Zionist and/or politicians will be tagged as corrupt and selling Pak's interest to India.
Pakistani do not need a resolution to water dispute but an agenda for blaming an outside force for their shortfalls and lack of progress.
Yeah, Pakistan can't allow exploitation of its water resources by anyone. not even itself. We waste a third of our water resources. Why does our population vote for these people over and over again?
Another sound and light show by Pak politicians. Their performance in building dams in Pakistan and improving the water status by various technologies like rain water harvesting, checkdams, drip irrigation etc is next to nothing. All they do is raise the India bogey and divert the public attention. Despicable.