PESHAWAR, Dec 2: The Awami National Party has delayed its planned protest campaign against the centre over the construction of Kalabagh dam till such time the federal government takes a final decision to execute the project, party leaders say.

In November, the party had announced a mass contact drive to be launched after Eid to mobilize public opinion against the project by holding rallies at the district level. ANP's senior vice-president Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour was tasked to organize a seminar to highlight the ill-effects of the Kalabagh dam.

"We are monitoring their [the centre's] next move vis-a-vis announcing the construction of the Kalabagh dam," said ANP's provincial secretary-general Farid Toofan, obliquely referring to recent announcements by President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Water and Power Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi that a final decision regarding the construction of either Kalabagh dam or Bhasha dam would be taken by the end of the year.

Party's vice-president Haji Mohammed Adeel said that ANP had adopted a 'wait and see' policy to take the next step on the issue. "If they decide to go for Kalabagh dam, we would not hesitate to launch our campaign. But if they don't, then why should we be wasting our energies?" asked Mr Adeel.

Mr Toofan said his party was ready to meet any situation in case the government decided to execute the Kalabagh dam project. The ANP, he pointed out, had been opposing the project for being against the economic interests of the people of four central districts of the province.

He rejected the suggestion that the party had delayed its announced movement because of any deal with the government. He said the only reason for the delay was that the government had not yet taken any decision on the issue.

"We don't want to create unrest unless there is a solid reason for that," Mr Toofan said, adding "the day they take the decision in favour of the project we will launch the movement."