The Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, delivered the last address of the inaugural session. He stated that it was a great pleasure to inaugurate the symposium. Gen. Musharraf admitted that just before attending the session there had been a long discussion on whether to attend it or not but he was very glad that he came. He further added that after hearing so much about Akhter Hameed Khan, he would leave the place even more motivated than ever before. General Pervez Musharraf said that he did not have the good fortune of meeting Akhter Hameed Khan, although he came close to it on several occasions.

Gen. Musharraf said that when he was posted at Comilla in 1967 as a captain, he heard a lot about the "great gentleman" who was running a rural development programme and he had the urge to meet him, but unfortunately he could not manage it. Later in 1973/74, when Gen. Musharraf’s brother, (who was serving in the Civil Service and was posted in Peshawar) told him about this great gentleman whom he idolized but unfortunately, Gen. Musharraf could not meet him again despite the fact that AHK was still in Peshawar. In 1993, while serving as the Director General Military Operations in Karachi, General Pervez Musharraf learnt about ‘the island of peace’ that was Orangi and went to Orangi to meet Akhter Hameed Khan. General roamed around the place incognito and saw for himself the work that had been done. Unfortunately, Akhter Hameed Khan had left his office and was not to be found anywhere, even though General Pervez Musharraf went to his house looking for him. General Pervez Musharraf stated that he considered it his "misfortune" not to have met him.

Akhter Hameed Khan, he pointed out, symbolized the vitality and will of the downtrodden to survive in adverse conditions. He thought and acted courageously and he had a great trust in the capabilities of the common man. AHK believed in the devolution of power, which is what General Pervez Musharraf’s government is stressing. One can harness the full potential of the masses by having a faith in their abilities and by organizing them. Akhter Hameed Khan demonstrated that by keeping hope alive, one can perform wonders. Throughout his life, he kept evolving and developing new ideas and deeper understanding, while testing and analyzing his own views. This continuity and change can only be found in the finest of minds.

General Pervez opined that human development is the pinnacle of every sort of development. In Comilla and in the Northern Areas, he took a leap of faith. He demonstrated that by forging alliance with the organized communities one could succeed where British government and local chieftains all failed. Villagers can build their own roads; increase crop output, reap harvest and plough land with collective effort. He broke new ground in Orangi by depending on national contributors. AHK promoted self-help and self-reliance and was always full of hope and optimism. He was ever ready to take on new challenges and continued his innovative work right until the end of his life. Gen. Musharraf was referring to AHK’s involvement in the Lodhran Pilot Project.

General Pervez Musharraf stated that the government is determined to carry forth his work and will deliver to the people by empowering government institutions providing services to the masses. Akhter Hameed Khan's principles were sublime and powerful, yet simple. He believed in the in-built capacity of the people to survive and prosper. The government's direction is in line with Akhter Hameed Khan's principles. It is committed to poverty alleviation, devolution of power and organization of the poor. To reward Akhter Hameed Khan's intellectual courage, honesty, competence and hard work, the government will confer a posthumous "Nishan-e-Imtiaz” award.

To remind us all of his meritorious service in rural development and the upgrading of katchi-abadis, the National Centre for Rural Development will also be renamed as “Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan Centre for Rural Development and Municipal Administration”. We must carry forward the torch lit by Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan and benefit from his wisdom. In the spirit of Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan, we must work closely hand in hand with the poor for their better tomorrow.