PESHAWAR, Aug 30: The NWFP government will continue to maintain political, moral and legal pressure on Islamabad till it achieves its genuine and constitutional right of net hydel profit, senior provincial minister Sirajul Haq says.

He said that it was good for the province that the government was supported by all political forces on the issue, adding that such unanimity would definitely result in the government's triumph.

He was speaking at the concluding session of a parliamentary jirga on hydel net profit issue that was convened with NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani in the chair at the Frontier House in Islamabad.

The minister criticized the delay in settling the hydel profit issue, he said that any further delay would shake public confidence besides increasing their sense of deprivation.

The minister termed the constitution of the arbitration tribunal a breakthrough and said Wapda had earlier denied the existence of such a problem and had capped the yearly net profit at Rs6 billion.

He said the jirga should continue its political efforts besides focussing on technical aspects of the arbitration process and calculation of the net profit amount. He alleged that the Centre was trying to impress upon the Frontier govt that fresh calculations might result in a decrease of the province's declared annual profit amounting to Rs17 billion and Rs345 billion in outstanding dues.

But, he said, new calculations would result in an increase in the amount owed to the province. The meeting reviewed recommendations in connection with the nomination of two members and the chairman of the arbitration tribunal, proceedings of previous meetings and decided about its future strategy.

It expressed the confidence that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz would solve the issue soon in the light of his experience as a finance minister. Others, who attended the meeting, included MNAs Dr Ataur Rehman, Maulana Naseeb Ali Shah of the MMA, Senator Farhatullah Babar of the PPP, Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani and Salim Saifullah Khan of the PML, Bashir Ahmad Bilour of the ANP, MPA Nighat Orakzai, former provincial finance ministers Farid Rehman, Iftikhar Mohmand, Secretary Finance Ziaur Rehman, Secretary Law Amir Gulab Khan, Advocate-General Barrister Jehanzeb Rahim and Barrister Zahid Saeed. -PPI