04 April 2004	Sunday	13 Safar 1425

LAHORE, April 3: Sindh Chief Minister Ali Muhammad Mahar urged here on Saturday the need for considering the viewpoint of all provinces to amicably resolve all inter-provincial issues like the NFC Award and the Kalabagh Dam.

He was speaking at the Meet the Press programme of the Lahore Press Club and answering questions of reporters.

Replying to a question on the reported arrest of MQM Haqeeqi's Afaq Ahmad, Mr Mahar said he faced cases but the provincial government would not give him any unjust treatment. The past governments used to implicate opponents in cases on political grounds but his government would deal with Mr Afaq fairly and purely on legal grounds, he said.

About a consensus among the provinces, he said coordination was necessary among them for fortifying Pakistan. All the four chief ministers must therefore work towards this end.

Mr Mahar said his government did not want resolution of differences or issues through conflict. "We are not immature to fight for our rights. But we would have to sit together for the resolution of our problems," he said.

He said every province had the right to express its point of view over the NFC Award. Indeed, Balochistan had the largest area and the Punjab population. Sindh too was generating maximum revenue but the NWFP was also demanding bigger share.

"We cannot reduce the population of the Punjab or to increase ours to match it, and therefore will have to consider this point. We should adopt measures that could strengthen Pakistan," Mr Mahar said.

He said Sindh was providing maximum revenue to the country and therefore flexibility would have to be shown to this point while sharing national resources among the provinces. The Punjab should be given a larger share because of its population but the other provinces should also be given their due right, he said.

Replying to a question about the Kalabagh Dam, he said the people in Sindh definitely had some concerns over its technical aspects. Projects like the Kalabagh Dam could be completed provided such apprehensions were removed, he said.

When asked about violent protests in Sindh against the dam, he said everybody had the right to express his opinion but no-one would be allowed to violate the law. The last related strike in Sindh had failed and all such issues would amicably be resolved.

The Sindh chief minister appreciated Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and other counterparts in Balochistan and the NWFP for deciding to resolve all inter-provincial issues through negotiations and consider the rightful demands of each other. Their first meeting in Lahore bore good results and another meeting would soon be held either in Quetta or Karachi.

He said there should be an exchange of delegations among the provinces to improve their relations, inviting Lahore journalists to visit Sindh and asking them to use their pen for creating brotherhood in the country.

Mr Mahar said the coalition Sindh government was smoothly functioning and the better law and order in the province bore a testimony to this. The country was moving towards betterment because of the steps taken by the president and the prime minister.

He said the country was required to shun past practices that rendered a loss to the people. "We have a new vision and are trying to honestly deliver," he said.

Replying to questions, Mr Mahar regretted the murder of a Sindh MPA and said the culprits would not be spared. He had ordered a judicial inquiry into the murder and constituted a team of three most competent SPs to investigate the matter. A reward of Rs1 million was also announced for helping arrest the culprits, he said.

He denied that violence in Sindh during the recent local government elections indicated bad law and order there. Fighting between two groups did not mean that the law and order was deteriorating in the province.

Mr Mahar said no-one was trying to make Karachi a new province. Things like this should be forgotten with the passage of time, he said. He denied that he had any differences with the Sindh governor or that he (the governor) was working only for his MQM.

He said bomb explosions in Sindh were being conducted by terrorists whom the government would deal with sternly.

Mr Mahar parried a question on the Wana operation and said it was not a provincial subject. "We support all actions of the president and the prime minister taken in the best interest of the country," he said.

He denied that the prime minister had refused to give development funds to Hyderabad which he had earlier announced. The prime minister had only announced that the government would consider provision of development funds, he said.

When sought his opinion on the permission to Ms Benazir Bhutto and Mr Nawaz Sharif to return to the country and take part in politics, he said newspapers should directly ask people what they wanted in this connection.

He promised to facilitate resolution of the newspaper employees wage board award issue provided newspaper owners and workers agreed to sit together for the purpose.

Replying to a question on the repatriation of Biharis, he said only those who were Pakistanis should be allowed entry.

Mr Mahar, who was presented with a shield, announced Rs500,000 for the Lahore Press club.