By resorting to arbitration, the previous government has seriously weakened the NWFP's battle for a due share in net hydel profits, says Awami National Party Senator Haji Mohammed Adeel.
In an exclusive interview to Business Recorder staff reporters Fida Hussain, Peer Muhammed and Tahir Amin, the Pushtoon leader also shares his opinions on the coalition government, their shortcomings and the lack of political will to have President Musharraf impeached.
He also speaks on the ongoing operations against militants in his province and stresses the need for dialogue. Adeel has been nominated as a member representing NWFP in the yet to be formally notified National Finance Commission (NFC). The following are excerpts from the interview:
Business Recorder: Do you endorse the decision of the MMA government to go to the Arbitration Tribunal to determine the rate of hydel profits?
Haji Adeel: What the MMA government did was not right and province got nothing as a result. The decision of the Arbitration Tribunal, which was established by the PML (Q) government to resolve the issue, did not include the arrears that Wapda owed to the NWFP for the period from1973 to 1990. Apart from this, the Arbitration Tribunal was also silent on the interest payable on arrears from 1990 to 2006 - the year the Tribunal gave its ruling. According to our assessment, the NWFP share in net hydel profits should be around Rs 700 billion.
Business Recorder: But the Arbitration Tribunal raised the share of hydel profits. The NWFP arrears from 1990 to 2006 were calculated at Rs 110 billion. Under the tribunal's decision, the former annual cap of Rs 6 billion was raised to Rs 24 billion with an annual increment of ten percent.
Haji Adeel: Let me reiterate that we did not get any outstanding arrears from the 1970s. What the Tribunal decided has also not been received by the NWFP government because WAPDA has filed an appeal in the court and we, the provincial government, have taken the matter to the Supreme Court. Both cases are pending.
Business Recorder: The PPP-led coalition government is going to start deliberations on a new formula for the distribution of resources from the center to the federating units. What are your plans?
Haji Adeel: One thing I can say for sure and that is that the formula to give more to more populous provinces cannot work anymore. The government has been running a huge program of family planning to control the country's population. If the national resources and employment opportunities are distributed keeping in mind the population of the provinces, then those provinces that should be penalised for their inability to control population growth will in fact be rewarded.
It will also be very difficult for Balochistan and the NWFP to accept Sindh's demand of giving extra weight to revenue generated from a province in distribution of resources.
The Frontier has been severely affected by the Afghan war and at present, the province is a victim of the war on terror. Unemployment and poverty are widespread in the province and the central government must focus on eradicating these ills. Pakistan has been receiving US assistance in war on terror, but unfortunately, the NWFP has received nothing. There must be a mechanism at the national level to ensure the center's assistance to parts of the country that are affected by the war on terror. The share for the provinces must be increased to 80 percent of the divisible pool [it is expected to be 43.75 percent in the financial year 2008-2009] to make the federating units more autonomous and self-reliant.
Business Recorder: If 80 percent of all resources go to the federating units, then how will the national government meet its own expenditure needs, including defence and other development and non-development expenditures?
Haji Adeel: In our opinion, the centre should abolish the concurrent list, minimise its expenditure and transfer resources to the federating units in hopes of strengthening them. After giving autonomy to the federating units, the federal government will be relieved of most of its current responsibilities.
Business Recorder: What do you think about the leadership of the coalition parties, in regard to criticism that they prefer to sit abroad while the country needs their leadership the most?
Haji Adeel: It seems that the leadership of PPP and PML-N do not want to face the difficulties Pakistan is facing. The mainstream political parties, after being voted to power in the February 18 elections, are not coming forward to rescue the country and the masses.
Business Recorder: Do you believe the coalition will survive?
Haji Adeel: The mainstream political parties will have to shoulder their responsibility. I wonder why the PPP leaders are away from the country at such a critical time. When Shaheed Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto was in self-imposed exile and Nawaz Sharif was in forced exile, they were clamouring to be allowed to return home. The major parties always ignore smaller parties in political consultations. If they stopped behaving like they are currently, then I am optimistic that the coalition can continue for long.
Business Recorder: Does ANP support the restoration of judges sacked by Musharraf?
Haji Adeel: Yes. The ANP has always supported the reinstatement of judges but it is not on the top of our priority list. Our first priority is to restore peace in the NWFP and adjoining tribal areas, followed by the renaming of NWFP and the granting of provincial autonomy. The restoration of judges is the fourth item on our priority list.
The major parties promised that they would restore the sacked judges after coming into power and even the slain PPP chairperson once announced that she would hoist the national flag atop the house of Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. Similarly, Nawaz Sharif's position on the issue is well known to all. Now the leaders of the same parties are stuck on the issue. They missed a golden opportunity on the first day of the government's formation when Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced the freeing of sacked judges, but fell short of announcing their reinstatement. He should have done so at that time.
Business Recorder: Do you think the issue of the judges can be resolved?
Haji Adeel: Now the issue has been complicated on the political rather than the legal front. The politics of the PPP and PML (N) revolves around this issue. In my opinion, even if the government restored these judges, there would be a very strong polarisation between the Constitutional and PCO judges. The court decisions could become politicised. And if the government agreed to restore the judges, the credit will go to the PML (N), a fact that the PPP cannot handle.
Business Recorder: Can the coalition government address the Balochistan issue?
Haji Adeel: Apologizing to the people of Balochistan is not enough. After tendering the apology, the PPP-led government did not take any practical steps. The kidnappings, killings and lawlessness continue exactly as before.
Business Recorder: What are the differences between the policies of President Musharraf and the present coalition government?
Haji Adeel: The only difference is that the present government terms these actions unjustified and unconstitutional while Musharraf said they were correct and necessary for the national interest. Musharraf never admitted his mistakes and considered himself as champion of national interest.
Business Recorder: Do you think that Musharraf retains the power to influence decisions?
Haji Adeel: As long as Musharraf is the President he will remain powerful because the army does not want to see him weak. It [the army] still supports him and his policies. Even as a retired general, Musharraf is very dear to the army.
Business Recorder: Do you think that Musharraf will be impeached in the near future?
Haji Adeel: He could easily be impeached if the PPP wants it. I wonder why the party, which claims to be the champion of democracy, is reluctant to impeach a dictator. The PPP is keen to bring forth a constitutional package, the passage of which the government will require a two-thirds majority in both the National Assembly and the Senate. But for impeachment, a two-thirds majority is available only if the two houses sit in a joint sitting. Constitutionally, the president can be impeached jointly by the two houses.
Business Recorder: What do you think about the ongoing military operation in some parts of NWFP?
Haji Adeel: There is uncertainty in NWFP. The ANP led provincial government has signed peace accords with Tehrik-e-Taliban Swat, which succeeded to a large extent. After some recent attacks on schools, police and hospitals, the NWFP government asked the Taliban why they had reneged on their deal. The Taliban, to our surprise, have informed us that these attacks were not launched by them. They told us that there was another group. So there is not one single entity or organisation with which the government needs to negotiate. There are groups within groups.
Business Recorder: Did the federal government take the ANP into confidence prior to launching the military operation in the tribal areas?
Haji Adeel: Except for the recent Bara operation, the federal government did not take the provincial government into confidence. The Bara operation was against those who challenged the writ of the provincial government and had begun abducting people from Peshawar in broad daylight. The ANP does not consider the use of force to be a solution, only negotiations can solve problems. The use of force by the US would not bear fruit either.
Business Recorder: What if the US attacked tribal areas?
Haji Adeel: Nobody can stop the US from using force. This is a fact. But we will protest if the US launched an offensive against militants in the tribal areas. I feel that people will soon be fed up with what the Taliban are doing. There is a chance that the people would welcome US strikes against the militants, if the Taliban continued suicide attacks and bomb blasts in the country.
Business Recorder: What is the stance of the ANP with respect to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)'s ultimatum to the provincial government to resign or face consequences?
Haji Adeel: Provincial government has no role to play in the Fata operation. We asked the Taliban to tackle the issue with the federal government. The federal government is neither consulting us on the operation nor in negotiations with Taliban in Fata.
Business Recorder: Who is responsible for promoting Talibanisation in the tribal areas?
Haji Adeel: The agencies had a role in promoting it. The Taliban were created as a counterforce against the USSR and then the government of Pakistan used them on the eastern front as well.
Business Recorder: What about the foreigners allegedly present in the tribal areas and involved in terrorist activities?
Haji Adeel: A large number of foreigners are there in the tribal areas, which were promoted by the government and the US during the war against the former USSR. Their expulsion from the area is very difficult, as they have become permanent residents there.
Business Recorder: A change in the province name was proposed by ANP - from NWFP to Pukhtoonkhawa. Is there any progress in this regard other than what is contained in the constitutional package that is still under consideration?
Haji Adeel: It was part of the ANP's proposal that led to the inclusion of the province's name change in the constitutional package.
Business Recorder: What is your opinion about the Bara operation?
Haji Adeel: It was fully justified. We had to stop the miscreants from entering Peshawar. They had even begun to kidnap people from Hayatabad and Nothia.