PESHAWAR, July 18: The Awami National Party has reiterated its demand that Wapda be handed over to the NWFP "because it had been a provincial subject before the creation of One Unit".

Commenting on load-shedding in the province for long hours, ANP senior vice-president Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said: "Our province generates electricity but our people are faced with long spells of load-shedding, which is unjust."

He said the Frontier's right on Wapda should be recognized in the same way as Punjab's right on wheat had been recognized. Last month, he said, Punjab had placed a ban on transportation of wheat to other provinces and refused to lift it until replenishing its own stocks. Punjab had proved its right of first-use on wheat because it produced the commodity, he added.

In the same vein, he said, Punjab should recognize Frontier's right on power generation and hand over Wapda back to the NWFP. "We spend less than 25 paisa on generation of one unit, but our people are charged exorbitant prices.

Wheat is inexpensive in Punjab, but electricity in Frontier is expensive," he said. He described the formation of One-Unit as a move designed to create Greater Punjab, "which had exploited resources of other provinces."