NWFP senior minister Sirajul Haq has linked participation of the NWFP chief minister in the National Security Council (NSC) meeting with the payment of hydel profit to the province. In a statement issued here on Wednesday, he said if the centre wanted the provincial chief minister to participate in the meeting then it should release outstanding arrears amounting to Rs 345 billion against the province without delay.
He said the province is passing through its worst financial crisis and the centre should not hold back the due share of the province on the pretext of lack of resources.
"Our economy is sliding and the graph of poverty, unemployment and backwardness has touched the highest peak," he said.
The minister said that the people of NWFP rightly expect launching of development schemes in their respective areas while the provincial government needs additional resources to complete them.
However, he lamented that the federal government seems to be in no mood to give the province its genuine and constitutional right of hydel profit.
"In such circumstances how does the centre expect more co-operation from the provincial government over and above its party agenda," he exclaimed, adding "if the centre sincerely wanted participation of the NWFP chief minister in the NSC meeting then it must declare clear-cut mode for the payment of hydel profit."