DG KHAN, Feb 22 :Federal Minister for Power, Awais Laghari said the government is making effort to reduce power prices by decreasing the tax burden on the public.
Speaking at a laptop distribution ceremony for students of Ghazi University at the Arts Council here, he highlighted several development projects planned for the region.
He said that Dera Ghazi Khan Airport would be made operational for local and international flights at start of the next year. A groundbreaking ceremony for a cancer hospital would also be held soon. The Minister noted that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is concerned about youth employment and is committed to creating new opportunities.
The ceremony was attended by Punjab Assembly member Sardar Salahuddin Khosa, Commissioner Ashfaq Ahmed, Vice Chancellor of Ghazi University Professor Ashfaq Ahmed Chattha, and former Provincial Assembly member Syed Abdul Aleem Shah.
The Minister further said the government is negotiating with the IMF to ensure that relief reaches the public in the next one to one-and-a-half years, particularly because industries face high corporate and other taxes.
He noted that employees often have to pay several months’ salaries in taxes and other deductions, and that easing this burden remains a priority.
Recalling his tenure as Federal Minister for Information Technology in 2002, he said he had worked to make mobile technology affordable for all, and he now approaches the Power Ministry with the same commitment. He emphasized that youth played a key role in Pakistan’s development and that talented and determined young people were vital for progress.
The Minister announced that work on the revival of Dera Ghazi Khan Airport will formally begin next month and was expected to be operational for international flights within a year.
He added that land has been allocated for a cancer hospital in the city, and construction will begin next month to provide advanced treatment facilities locally.
Laghari also highlighted the launch of the electric bus service in Dera Ghazi Khan, which provides convenient travel for the elderly, women, and students with dignity. He encouraged youth to pursue technical fields, which offer significant employment opportunities.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed Chattha said laptops under the Prime Minister’s scheme are being distributed to 392 meritorious students of Ghazi University and expressed hope that the initiative would help them advance in their studies and careers.
