PESHAWAR, June 15: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will soon formally contact the federal government to demand its share in the Indus waters in line with the 1991 inter-provincial accord to overcome energy crisis, according to senior provincial minister Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao.

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Saturday, the minister said despite the 1991 Water Apportionment Agreement, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had not been given its due share in the Indus waters.

He criticised the successive provincial governments to raise voice for the rights of the local residents.

“We will ask the centre to help us build reservoirs and give us share in the Indus waters in line with the 1991 accord so that we could overcome energy crisis through our own hydel power generation system,” he said.

Accompanied by chief of his party (Qaumi Watan Party) Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, the minister said the last Awami National Party-led government had lavishly spent the revenue of power generation on irrelevant schemes but the current government would spent it on power generation to meet its energy needs. He said the last government’s failure to address this issue of prime importance led to the misery of the people of the province.

On the occasion, Aftab Sherpao expressed concern over the increase in rates of wheat flour and asked the Punjab government to relax its policy regarding wheat and flour supply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the entire responsibility of the issue rested with the provincial caretaker government, which failed to purchase wheat as per its requirement, saying every year, four million wheat bags were purchased annually but this year only .25 million which led to caused hike in rates of the commodity.

“I had already warned the provincial government to focus on the issue as the province will face flour shortage after September 2013. We will definitely raise voice on the issue in the National Assembly so that the people of KP won’t face problems,” he said.

Mr Sherpao asked the center and KP government to have cordial relationship with the objective to overcome the problems being faced by the people because our province was already hit hard by floods and militancy which could not afford crisis of any kind in future.

Referring to the federal budget for 2013-14, he said the government should have announced incentives for the revival of the sick industrial units in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because over 500 industries had been closed in the province due to withdrawal of incentives which rendered over 1,500 workers jobless, mainly at Gadoon.

Opposing increase in sales tax, he said the government should widen the tax base to meet the revenue targets instead of imposing sales tax, adding that the raise in the general sales tax was regressive, unjustified and such steps could even lead to fall the governments. He said the increase in petroleum products, CNG and other its before passing of budget was unconstitutional, saying supreme court had taken right step in this regard.

He said around 40,000 people were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in acts of terrorism and infrastructure was destroyed, but the federal government didn’t announce any package to revive the economic condition of the province and restore the infrastructure.

The QWP chief said hundreds of government-run schools were destroyed, which deprived thousands of children of their right to education and in such a situation it was duty of the government distribute the resources on equitable basis.

He said the people of Chitral were faced with great communication problems but the federal government neglected them by not allocating the required Rs10 billion and kept only one billion for it in the budget which is unjustified. He said the government should have increased the salaries of the government employees as the price of daily use items had gone up manifold, making it difficult for them to make ends meet.

He also opposed the prolonged power suspensions and asked the government to solve the issue.

On the occasion, former Pakistan People’s Party MPA Salma Babar, former general secretary of High Court Bar Association Dera Ismail Khan Tahir Waseem and scores of their supporters announced to join Qaumi Watan Party.