Hydel net profit: PML claims credit for tribunal decision

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) has also claimed credit for the resolution of the longstanding dispute between Wapda and NWFP government over 'net profit' on hydropower generation through Arbitration Tribunal.
"The credit of the resolution of the longstanding dispute goes to President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for accepting the dispute and constituting arbitration tribunal," said provincial PML-Q president and Federal Minister for Political Affairs, Engr Amir Muqaam, while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.
He said it was a longstanding demand of the people of NWFP, and the tribunal's decision was actually the acceptance of the rights and provincial autonomy.
In this connection, he said that all previous chief ministers had made strenuous efforts, but then the federal governments did not support them. He out rightly rejected the role of MMA in the achievement of the goal, and attributed all credit to the President, the Prime Minister and PML, saying that the release of the huge outstanding amount of Rs110 billion would help minimise the poverty and backwardness of the province.
He said that if MMA was really interested in paying the right of the mandate of the people, then it should have to pay gratitude and thanks to President General Pervez Musharraf. "The MMA should acknowledge the mandate of the people and, instead of running a campaign it should support the President," he said, adding that the latter has supported the stand of the small provinces.
He said that the federal government has started a large number of mega projects in NWFP, but it is the provincial government of MMA which was created hindrance in their implementation.
Amir Muqaam said that he himself had approved 192 tube-wells for the provincial metropolis while construction work on Chakdara-Kalam Road was continuing under National Highway Authority (NHA). The federal government has directed NHA for acceleration of the pace of work and had approved Rs 3 billion for it, he said.
However, he lamented that the provincial government had miserably failed in giving it practical shape. He said that the provincial government, instead of taking credit over the arbitration tribunal decision, should work for maintenance of law and order and initiation of developmental schemes and make credit of them.
He expressed hope that the federal government would show the same spirit as it had expressed in the constitution of the tribunal. "Rs 110 billion is a huge amount, and increase of annual profit to Rs 24 billion would help bring big change in the lives of the people of the province," the minister added.
He said that the tribunal was constituted with the consent of Wapda and the government of NWFP, "and now they are bound to accept the decision with open heart". He said that the decision would have no effect on privatisation of Wapda.
For implementation of the decision of arbitration tribunal, he said, the federal government, in collaboration with the provincial government, would prepare strategy to guarantee this constitutional right to NWFP. He said that he had always struggled for the rights of the province and would support any such endeavour in future, too.