March 12, 2003	Wednesday	Muharram 8, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Mar 11: Frontier Province Senior Minister Sirajul Haq has complained against what he termed delayed release of funds from the Centre due to which the NWFP was facing serious financial hardships.

Speaking to newsmen at the Frontier House here on Monday evening, the senior minister, who is also holding the portfolio of finance, said his province had received Rs1 billion only out of Rs6 billion due from the net hydel power profit in the current fiscal so far as the third quarter was about to end.

Replying to a question, he however said the Centre was not interferring in the provincial affairs as Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali during both of his visits to Peshawar had reiterated that he respected the verdict of people of the province.

Replying to another question, he said that neither the FBI was carrying out any operation nor anyone linked to Al Qaeda was hiding in the province.

He claimed that all the MMA candidates fielded in Senate polls had returned successful in the NWFP while a good number of Fata MNAS had voted for them for the first time in the national history.

The minister denied that the provincial government had exerted any sort of pressure on Fata legislators for earning their support.

He said the provincial government did not face any danger to its existence and that the independent MPAs who had extended cooperation to the MMA for the development and progress of the province were still with the alliance.

Answering a question, Sirajul Haq said the MMA government was committed to the enforcement of Islamic laws in the province and steps were under way to achieve this objective.

He termed the Kalabagh dam project a controversial issue, adding that the province was considering other alternatives.