December 19, 2002	Thursday	Shawwal 14, 1423

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PESHAWAR, Dec 18: Federal Minister for Water and Power Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has pledged to further cut down the power tariff and provide more relief to the masses.

He was addressing a gathering on the occasion of joining of 10 social workers to the Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao) at Gulbela village, here on Wednesday.

Mr Sherpao, who is also chief executive of the Northern Areas, said the high power tariff had broken the back of the poor. “But I promise that it will be reduced despite the increase in the petroleum product prices,” he told the gathering.

He termed the 12 paisa per unit reduction in the power rate a positive gesture to the people and said there was room to a further cut in the tariff.

The minister also pledged that he would work with the NWFP government to protect the provincial rights. “And certainly, I raise the issue of the NWFP net profit on hydel power generation with the Centre as it is a right of the province.”

“Work to protect the provincial autonomy and provincial right is a part of the PPP-Sherpao agenda, and I will not let down the people’s mandate,” he maintained.

He told the gathering that he had no intention to join the Jamali government, but he took the decision after consultations with the party leaders. “The purpose is just to serve the masses,” he said.

The government had planned to take part in the rehabilitation process in Afghanistan, aiming at creating job opportunities for the unemployed youth of Pakistan, he said.

He said the government was also planning to establish a price control body to maintain and curtail the unjustified increase in the prices of daily-use items.

Aftab Sherpao said the joining of the local social workers to PPP-Sherpao would not only strengthen the party, but would also help develop the area through them.

Those who joined the Sherpao faction of the PPP included: Arbab Inamullah Khan, Arbab Sareer Ahmad Khan, Arbab Asif Khan, Arbab Sehatullah Khan, Haji Gohar Hussain Khan, Dr Subhan Ali Khan, Sharafat Khan, Arbab Raheem Khan, Arbab Tariq Khan and Abdus Sattar Khan. But family sources of Arbab Inamullah Khan say that he has not yet decided to join the PPP-Sherpao, despite some political pressure.