Engineers key to progress; says PM

F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Thursday said engineers were key to development and progress of the country while speaking here at the Engineers Convention, organized by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC).
He asked the PEC to ensure higher standards of quality, attention to detail and timely completion of projects. The prime minister said the PML-N government had brought unprecedented progress in country’s infrastructure and mentioned construction of new roads, power plants and other industrial units.
He regretted that in the past several years no government made any significant improvements.
He said the credit went to the PML-N that took up the construction of Super Highway, Lowari Tunnel, Nandipur project, Kacchi Canal of which 350 kms that passes through Punjab and irrigates Balochistan, the Diamir Bhasha Dam, Thar Coal. He said LNG terminals were built and a 1,200 kms long pipeline constructed to provide cheapest electricity in shortest period of time.
He said today 1,200 MWs of cheap electricity though three power houses was being generated through imported LNG.
He said most of these were part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the PEC needed to play its role. He asked the Engineering Council to be competitive, ensure top quality to survive in a challenging world.
Abbasi, who himself is an engineer said it was mere coincidence that several ministers including that of defence, planning and education, and others who were at the helm of affairs were engineers. He said together they were striving to take the country forward on the path of progress and prosperity.
He hoped that the PEC would be made more effective and professional and would serve the national interests in a befitting manner. He was appreciative of holding of the Engineers Convention and hoped that it would turn out to be a regular event that would serve as a national forum to discuss issues related to the engineers.
The prime minister recalled his days while he was doing engineering and said in only one year’s time whatever he had learned at the university was almost obsolete as developments were moving at a very fast pace.
He shared how the technology transformed during the course of the studies and stressed the need of regular updates in curriculum so as to keep the students abreast of the latest changes.
He said if engineers deliver, the country could progress at a very fast pace.
He said it transpired to him in only a few days time when he became the petroleum minister that provision of natural gas was the only way forward to address country’s power shortage crisis.
He said many people were critical but being critical all the time was not helpful.
He said when the PML-N government came into power the industry was in pathetic condition, CNG was unavailable, and fertilizer was being imported, while the domestic consumers were also suffering. He said gas was the primary energy source for the country and with imported LNG all those issues were today a thing of the past.