August 22, 2007	Wednesday	Sha’aban 8, 1428

MANSEHRA, Aug 21: Former NWFP senior minister Sirajul Haq has sought the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s help to get the NWFP Rs110 billion royalty of the Tarbela dam withheld by the federal government.

“The chief justice can take suo motu action and ask the federal government to pay the NWFP the pending amount of royalty as announced by the prime minister,” he said while speaking at a public meeting here on Tuesday.

Mr Haq said the federal government was paying Rs6 billion in royalty of hydro power annually which was three times less than the promised amount of Rs25 billion per year.

He said the centre had to pay Rs110 billion to the NWFP as arrears accumulated in the last 15 years, but it had failed to pay this amount. “We appeal to the chief justice to take suo motu notice of the non-payment of the royalty by the federal government.”

He said that the meeting in Abu Dhabi between President Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto had been arranged by the US to establish a collation government in Pakistan, but, he added, people would never vote to those dealing with the Musharraf government.

Mr Haq said the provincial government was working to provide basic facilities to people and had increased the health budget to Rs3.25 billion in the current fiscal year from Rs35 million in 2001.