GHAZI, March 29: Provincial minister for finance, planning and development Siraj-ul-Haq has announced that the NWFP will not sign the National Finance Commission (NFC) award document unless provinces are given 50 per cent share from the federal divisible pool and the Frontier province's grievances on the net hydel profit issue are looked into positively.
Addressing a public meeting arranged by the local chapter of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, at the School Ground here on Sunday, the provincial minister categorically said that the NWFP would not accept any thing less than 50 per cent share for provinces under the new NFC award.
"There will be no bargaining on the NWFP's rights," said Mr Haq, who is also the senior minister in the provincial cabinet. He said that the provincial government would not accept the NFC award if provinces were given less than 50 per cent share from the federal divisible pool.
Similarly, he added, the Centre should also take due notice of the NWFP's claim of Rs342 billion on account of arrears of net hydel profit against Water and Power Development Authority.
He also linked the NWFP's signing of the next NFC award with the acceptance of its stand on the net hydel profit issue on the part of the federal government.
The provincial finance minister's announcement of not signing the NFC award has come at a time when the commission, headed by Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz and comprising all the four provincial ministers, is scheduled to hold an important meeting at Quetta on March 31 - the cut-off date set for finalizing the new award.
Mr Siraj-ul-Haq, who is also the provincial chief of Jamaat-i-Islami, took exception to the federal government's policy of siding with the US in the war on terrorism and for the ongoing military operation in Wana.
"Innocent tribesmen are being killed and bombed with the help of Cobra helicopters," said the minister, adding that "in such a situation we are left with no choice but to defeat anti-Islamic forces by adopting the path of martyrdom".
He said the difference between the masses and the ruling elite was that the former attached importance to the country's interest, while the later had been giving preference to its own interest.
The country, he added, experienced the break-up because of the wide difference of opinion between the masses and the rulers and it was confronting a similar situation in which the army, supported by capitalist forces, was showering bombs by Cobra helicopters on innocent tribesmen.
He called on the people present on the occasion to extend support to MMA so that it could bring about revolution in the country.