LAHORE - Former Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Salman Shah has said that withdrawal of subsidies on fuel, gas and electricity would lead to massive unemployment and high inflation in the country, as it would hit hard the already under stress industrial sector besides badly affecting the common man. He said that security is the basic problem of Pakistan and government should allocate funds for the construction of all dams including Kalabagh dam in the budget for fiscal year 2009-10. He said that the government should start construction of dams immediately in order to put the economy back on track. Dr Shah stated this while addressing pre-budget symposium held under the aegis of Pakistan Muslim League here at Muslim League House on Thursday. Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-din, Senior Vice President Mohammad Basharat Raja, Mehnaz Rafi and Mian Muhammad Munir also addressed the symposium. MPAs Dr Samia Amjad, Amna Ulfat, Ayesha Javed, Kanwal Nasim and Samuel Kamran were also present on the occasion. Addressing the symposium, Dr Salman Shah further said that in order to overcome food and energy crises once for all, Pakistan must ensure construction of all dams including Kalabagh dam. The construction of dams should be considered on technical basis rather than political intentions, he added. Dr Shah further said that the upcoming budget should not be based on hypothesis and unrealistic estimates. The revenue collection for the next budget is being estimated at Rs 1400 billion, he said adding, but we dont have revenue collection resources to this extent as being mentioned. He said that government is depending only on foreign aid, which is not the solution of the current economic challenges. Salman Shah said that the PPP were opposing the construction of Kalabagh Dam in the past on political grounds. Now the PPP is in the government and they can build this mega dam by developing consensus through political process. This dam could be built only in five years while the construction of Bhasha dam is possible in 13 years, he added. He said that the construction of Kalabagh Dam on one hand would ensure energy and food security while on the other, it would enable the country to generate employment. He also claimed that the electricity crisis in the country was the outcome of the mismanagement and not because of the shortage of the electricity generating capacity. He said the energy sector circular debt was leading to unscheduled and hours long loadshedding in the country that could be eliminated through good governance. In order to tackle the insecure economic future of this country, he said, Pakistan should take some bold initiatives by raising new water reservoirs. He further said that Pakistans economy could not flourish without better law and order situation. He said that Pakistan could become third great economy in the region after China and India but it needed better management. He said that the process of development has also come to a halt in the Punjab province as the actual revenue collection is far below than the estimates. He also emphasised that Pakistan could grow economically only through political stability and better law and order situation in the country. Speaking on this occasion Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din said that the government has failed to launch any of the development plans pledged in budget speech of 2008-09. He said that the Punjab government is capable to utilise only Rs 13 billion out of the total amount earmarked for the development budget. He said that they would expose the negligence of the Punjab government and financial mismanagement in the provincial system.