LAHORE (Agencies) – Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Saturday called for more dialogue with India, a day after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi accused New Delhi of limiting a talks process.
Gilani said he believed India remained committed to the talks. “We want dialogues, they (India) too want dialogues, so when there will be talks then we will discuss all issues. At this point I cannot say something in the air,” Gilani told reporters after an official function at Balloki, near Lahore.
“They (India) had told us that they want to talk on all issues and I am sure that Indian prime minister is an honourable man and he will fulfil all his commitments,” Gilani said.
Gilani said that Manmohan Singh had assured him that all issues between the two countries would be discussed. He was referring to the meeting between the two in Thimphu on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in April.
Gilani said Pakistan wanted good relations with India and both countries were sincere in improving ties. He was talking to the media after inaugurating an independent power plant with generation capacity of 225 MW.
“It was our desire that India along with its people and we along with our people hold talks to improve relations between the two countries.”
To a question, the PM said that he had good relations with the judiciary and one can also ask from the Chief Justice of Pakistan about it.
Regarding the murder of BNP leader Habib Jalib Baloch, he said that law and order was a provincial matter and he had talked to the Balochistan Chief Minister who, he said, had ordered a judicial inquiry into the matter. The Prime Minister said that PPP did not believe in politics of violence and condemned it.
To another question, the premier said that the PPP government did not believe in victimisation and that was why there was not even a single political prisoner in the country in the PPP government.
To a question, he said, “The HEC chairman wished to meet me and I will soon meet him to know about his problems.” He said the HEC chairman’s brother was not being victimised as the PPP did not want to earn a bad name.
To yet another question, the prime minister said that wishes of mid-term polls would not be fulfilled and wherever anyone was disqualified, by-polls would be held.
He said that terrorists were beasts and talks could not be held with them, adding that talks were held with human beings.
Regarding terrorism in Punjab, the Prime Minister said, “whole Pakistan is ours and terrorism is a collective issue. And where there is terrorist we will take action.”
Earlier, addressing the inaugural ceremony of 225 MW Orient Combined Cycle Power Plant, Gilani said the government had prepared a comprehensive plan to double the power generation capacity within next ten years by initiating projects that could add a minimum of 20,000 MW by the year 2020. He said the plan was in addition to the projects already under construction.
Gilani said, “20,000 MW addition would comprise 6,000 MW on hydro, 6,000 MW on coal, 5,000 MW on gas, 1,000 MW on Naptha and other indigenous fuels while the remaining 2,000 MW from alternative energy resources, especially solar and wind.”
The prime minister said while translating the vision 2020 into reality, the govt had so far added a total of 1,708 MW through a combination of hydel and thermal sources, which included rehabilitated capacity of the existing Generation Companies (GENCOs), adding that another 2,795 MW of capacity additions were likely to be completed by December this year with an investment equal to US$ 5 billion.
He said, “We will ensure maximum efficiency gains in our generation, transmission and distribution systems.”
Gilani said the government would add to conservation drive through induction of energy savers, solarisation of water heating and irrigation pumps.
He said the 225 MW Orient Combined Cycle Power Plant was the fifth one after the Attock Power, Atlas Power, Nishat Power and Korangi Combined Cycle Power Plant launched by the present government in just one and half year.
He appreciated the intention of the sponsors to launch the second phase of the plant after confirming the gas supply.
Referring to the constrained gas supply, the prime minister said the govt had been making earnest efforts to import gas from the neighbouring countries, which would primarily be dedicated to the power sector.
Gilani thanked the primary sponsors of the project, including the
OmanÂ’s govt through Oman Oil Company and the German govt through Development Finance Institution (DEG).
“We cherish our relationship with both the friendly countries and projects like these are a demonstration of our commitment to foster economic ties amongst our respective govts,” he remarked.
Premier Gilani said most of the projects being implemented had been financed with local bank debt, which in the longer term was good for the economy because it reduced foreign exchange burden.
He said the focus on the countryÂ’s indigenous resources would not only decrease the burden on balance of payments but also lower the cost of power generation and provide the much-needed relief to the people.
“We also intend completing the projects designed to import hydro electricity from Central Asia and other countries as a part of low-carbon strategies,” he added.