ISLAMABAD, Feb. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz of Pakistan Friday said Confidence Building Measures with India have boosted investment in his country and the effects of economic growth has started to trickle down to the common man, the official Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

    "Improved internal security and confidence-building measures initiated with our neighbor has boosted investment by local and foreign investors (in the country)," said the prime minister at the launching of Pakistan Millennium Development Goals Report - 2004.

    Aziz said the reform process of the past five years and the turnaround in Pakistan's economic performance in the last three years was encouraging.

    "We can't change the past, but the government of President Musharraf, and I remain committed to the future," he said, adding that the growth is beginning to trickle down and poverty levels are declining.

    He said the country's economy shows promising sign of breaking the low-level equilibrium trap it was engulfed in prior to 1999.

    After crossing the 5 percent growth two years ago, Pakistan is now performing in the range of 7 percent and will attain 8 percent growth within 2 to 3 years, said the prime minister. Enditem