Uzbek Ambassador based in Islamabad Ubek Arif Utmanoof has said that Uzbekistan is desirous to further strengthen close and cordial relations with Pakistan, saying every possible cooperation will be extended for the promotion of tourism, leather Industries other products and for the exchange of official delegation between the two countries.

The Uzbek envoy expressed these views while talking to City District Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas during his visit to Nazim office here on Saturday.

Naib Nazim Muhammad Afzal Khokar, DCO Irfan Elahi, EDO Finance Saqib zafar, Town Nazmeen Kalar Saydan, Kotli Satian, Hafiz Suhail Ashraf Malik and Shahzad Namat Satti were also present on the occasion.

The city district Nazim and DCO briefed the Uzbek Ambassador about the working and performance of the city district government in detail.

Raja Javed Ikhlas thanked the Uzbek Ambassador for visiting his office.

Ikhlas appraised the Uzbek envoy that this is the pride of the district Rawalpindi that it has literacy rate of 79% which is the highest in the whole Punjab province, he added He said that district government has the development budget allocation of Rs. 4 billion, which he added is being incurred on the development of roads infrastructure, provision of potable water, electricity and on other development projects of public importance.

He told the Uzbek Ambassador Ubek Arif Utmanoof that besides the routine budgetary allocation, we have been receiving the huge development funds, time to time from the President General Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shoukat Aziz and Chief Minister Ch. Pervez Elahi due to which 100% extra development funds have been spent in the district Rawalpindi, he added.

About the construction of gigantic Rawalpindi Expressway project he said with the completion of this mega project, the travelers between

Rawalpindi-Islamabad would have road access without the signals that he said would definitely help reduce traveling distance and time, he added

He said the introduction city- district governments in the country was the vision of President General Pervez Musharraf , which Ikhlas said help resolve the public problems at gross root level, he asserted.