PESHAWAR, Jan 18: The NWFP assembly has opposed the privatisation of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and demanded that the company, under the Article 157 of the constitution, should be handed over to the province.

The house endorsed a letter, written by Abdul Akbar Khan of the People's Party Parliamentarians, to Liaquat Ali Jatoi, federal minister for water and power, challenging the federal government's contention on the ownership and privatization of Pesco by the government and mixing up net profit with gross profit, or royalty.

The letter said that the Council of Common Interest was a competent body to determine the net hydle profit, which had got the amount determined form Mr A.G.N Kazi, a renowned financial expert.

He said Mr Kazi had determined the net profit by deducting all costs of generation, transmission and distribution, including interest of loans from the sale price of the electricity per unit of the electricity generated by the hydropower stations situated in each one province.

While reading out his letter, Mr Khan said: "As the Pesco utilise all electricity generated by hydle station situated in the NWFP, so as per the AGN Kazi formula, all distribution and transmission system costs of the Pesco had already been paid from the profit earned by the province."

He said the province had already paid the total transmission and distribution cost of Pesco system, "therefore the NWFP has every right to claim the ownership of Pesco, including its assets," under Article 157(2) of the Constitution. He said the Constitution gave away some rights to all its federating units especially rights on their resources.

This letter, he said, was a voice of 20 million people of this province, "so we oppose privatisation of Pesco again and demand its handing over to the NWFP." The entire House endorsed contents of the letter and urged the mover to send it to Islamabad.

The House also passed the NWFP Urban Immovable Property Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2004, with minor amendments. Minister for Excise and Taxation Fazal Rabbani had tabled the Bill on Monday, but it was kept pending till today (Tuesday) so as to insert certain amendments from the PPP leader Akbar Khan.

Before Mr Rabbani would present the bill for its passage, Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal MPA Pir Mohammad Khan drew attention of the House towards his unanimously-adopted resolution, saying the government had no right to present any such bill.

The minister said that the passage of this bill was the first step towards achieving the goal, which the MMA government had set for the welfare of the people, but Mr Khan was not ready to budge. The present government, he said, had left no other option, but to implement the unanimously passed resolution.

Endorsing the stand of mover, Deputy Speaker Ikramullah Shahid quoted Article 130 of the Constitution and Rules of Provincial Assembly Procedure and Conduct of Business Rules 134, saying that the government should honour the unanimous resolutions. The House, however, passed the bill. Later, the speaker adjourned the House till Feb 2.