ISLAMABAD (December 03 2002) : Pakistan's first geo-stationary satellite will be in place on the 23rd of this month.
This was announced by President Pervez Musharraf while speaking at the launching ceremony of Pakistan Educational Network in Islamabad on Monday morning.
The President said that the satellite, purchased by Pakistan and known as the Paksat-one will start moving on Tuesday and will be in place on the 23rd of this month. He said this valuable slot was being lost due to negligence on the part of the previous governments. He was confident that in the next four or five years, Pakistan would place its indigenously manufactured satellite.
The President recounted the measures taken by the government for the promotion of Information Technology and said today over 1,000 cities are connected through the internet as compared to only 28 two-and-a-half years back.
He said TV broadcast licences have been given for the academic channels and two more will be granted by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority in the very near future, besides an ambitious programme for e-governments has been launched. He said hundred percent infrastructure of the telecommunication department would be digitalised by the end of this month.
Looking at the future with new government in place, the President said, human resource development will take Pakistan forward and education will be the backbone of our progress. “We have to invest in human capital and education, he said, adding, he was glad that Mrs Zubaida Jalal has been elected and made Education Minister again. He said foreign donors have committed 800 million dollars in grant for the next five different educational programmes in Pakistan.-Sana
