Musharraf’s foreign policy will help improve ties: Elahi

Staff Report

LAHORE: President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s foreign policy strategy has provided a strong foundation for Pakistan to improve ties with other countries, said Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. Concrete steps have been taken to encourage foreign investment in Punjab, he added.

The chief minister was talking to a parliamentary delegation from Norway, which was led by Afshan Rafique, a member of the Parliament of Norway, on Friday. Amir Javed, a Member of the Oslo State Parliament, and Nisar Chaudhry, the Institution for the promotion of Punjabi Culture head, were also present.

Elahi said that special attention was being given to education in Punjab and the education budget had been increased manifold. He said that many development projects had been initiated, including projects to improve schools, and added that a concrete strategy had been formulated to develop infrastructure in the province.

Elahi said that steps had been taken to improve communication in order to step up the pace of industrialisation in the province. He said that new technologies were being employed to improve the efficiency of government sectors and added that economic and cultural relations between Norway and Pakistan would be strengthened.

Rafique told Elahi that a Norwegian Parliament Committee for Foreign Affairs delegation would visit Pakistan in January. She disclosed that President Gen Pervez Musharraf had been formally invited to visit Norway and the date of his visit would be finalised soon. She hoped that the president’s visit would strengthen ties and open new avenues of development between the two countries. She also invited Elahi to participate the Pakistani Independence Day celebrations in Norway this year.

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