President to visits Balochistan today

GAWADAR—President General Pervez Musharraf is arriving here today (Thursday) on the opening day of his two-day visit to Balochistan.
Besides inauguration of Pearl Continental Hotel at Koh Batil, the President will also perform groundbreaking of a labour colony here. The President will review ongoing development programmes and will also receive a briefing in this regard. During his trip, the President will visit the largest water reservoir of Makran - Mirani dam - which is in final stages of its completion. He will be briefed about the project which cost Rs. 6.0 billion.
He will address gathering of local representatives and hold meetings with elite of the area and chiefs of various tribes here. The elites of the area and local representatives have reached here from Makran and other parts.
This would be Gen Musharraf’s first visit to that province after killing of Bugti chieftain Nawab Akbar Bugti in a military operation on August 26, 2006 along with his five associates.
Strict security measures have been adopted on the President’s visit. A meeting held in Quetta on Wednesday, reviewed the security arrangements taken for the high profile visit. Chief Minister Jam Muhammad Yousif and Chief Secretary Balochistan attended the meeting.
President Gen Pervez Musharraf would inaugurate the Mirani Dam in Turbat today (Thursday) bringing a revolution in the this remote and backward area of Balochistan province.
The construction work on the dam started in July 2002 and it has been completed with a cost of 98 million dollars. With the construction of dam, a huge economic activity is expected to generate, creating a positive impact on the local residents.
This dam would have the capacity to store 300,000 acre feet of water and will irrigate about 33,200 acres of land. Federal Minister for water and Power Liaqat Ali Jatoi, and Chairman Wapda Tariq Hamid would accompany the president. Mirani Dam is one of the fast track projects of Wapda under its Vision-2025 programme.—Agencies