Parliamentarians seek consensus on new NWFP name
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
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PESHAWAR: NWFP parliamentarians including federal ministers have said it is time to give the province an ââ¬Åappropriate identityââ¬Â by renaming it, and urged the Frontier leadership to build consensus before the issue is referred to the central government.
A host of issues such as the NFC Award, autonomy for the provinces and net hydel profit were discussed at a one-day seminar organised by Arshad Khan of the Pakistan Peoples Party-Sherpao (PPP-S) on Tuesday.
Parliamentarians from various political parties urged complete autonomy for all four provinces of the country and demanded the centre accept unanimous resolutions of the NWFP Assembly if it agreed on a new name for the province.
Federal Minister for Culture Ghazi Gulab Jamal and MNA Maulana Sadiq proposed Pukhtonistan as the new name for NWFP. ââ¬ÅI hope consensus is built on this name,ââ¬Â Jamal said.
Salim Saifullah Khan, the federal minister for inter provincial harmony, said that provincial autonomy was imperative for the development of the country and that his ministry was working for maximum empowerment of the provinces. Regarding net hydel profit, the federal minister said that the formation of an arbitration tribunal was a good step in this regard and expressed hope that the issue would soon be resolved.
ââ¬ÅThe Council of Common Interest (CCI) is an essential step being taken by the present government where the chief ministers would peruse cases pertaining to the provinces, said the federal minister
Arshad Khan, the organiser of the meeting, said re-naming NWFP had been made controversial and urged the federal ministers for inter provincial harmony to play his role in this regard. ââ¬Å The centre should not create hurdles if a consensus name is suggested for re-naming the province,ââ¬Â he said.
MNA Abdul Akbar Chitrali said that provincial autonomy was the only solution to the problems confronting smaller provinces. He said the centre should pay Rs 18 billion to NWFP under the head of net hydel profit.
The PPP-P parliamentary leader in the NWFP Assembly criticised arbitration on net hydel profit saying Clause 2 of Article 161 of the constitution had clarified the issue of net hydle profit. WAPDA had used the NWFP net profit on the establishment of transmission, distribution and generation lines, so the central government, before privatising WAPDA should shift these assets to NWFP, he demanded.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
javascript:; http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/print.asp?page=2006\08\02\story_2-8-2006_pg7_7
PESHAWAR: NWFP parliamentarians including federal ministers have said it is time to give the province an ââ¬Åappropriate identityââ¬Â by renaming it, and urged the Frontier leadership to build consensus before the issue is referred to the central government.
A host of issues such as the NFC Award, autonomy for the provinces and net hydel profit were discussed at a one-day seminar organised by Arshad Khan of the Pakistan Peoples Party-Sherpao (PPP-S) on Tuesday.
Parliamentarians from various political parties urged complete autonomy for all four provinces of the country and demanded the centre accept unanimous resolutions of the NWFP Assembly if it agreed on a new name for the province.
Federal Minister for Culture Ghazi Gulab Jamal and MNA Maulana Sadiq proposed Pukhtonistan as the new name for NWFP. ââ¬ÅI hope consensus is built on this name,ââ¬Â Jamal said.
Salim Saifullah Khan, the federal minister for inter provincial harmony, said that provincial autonomy was imperative for the development of the country and that his ministry was working for maximum empowerment of the provinces. Regarding net hydel profit, the federal minister said that the formation of an arbitration tribunal was a good step in this regard and expressed hope that the issue would soon be resolved.
ââ¬ÅThe Council of Common Interest (CCI) is an essential step being taken by the present government where the chief ministers would peruse cases pertaining to the provinces, said the federal minister
Arshad Khan, the organiser of the meeting, said re-naming NWFP had been made controversial and urged the federal ministers for inter provincial harmony to play his role in this regard. ââ¬Å The centre should not create hurdles if a consensus name is suggested for re-naming the province,ââ¬Â he said.
MNA Abdul Akbar Chitrali said that provincial autonomy was the only solution to the problems confronting smaller provinces. He said the centre should pay Rs 18 billion to NWFP under the head of net hydel profit.
The PPP-P parliamentary leader in the NWFP Assembly criticised arbitration on net hydel profit saying Clause 2 of Article 161 of the constitution had clarified the issue of net hydle profit. WAPDA had used the NWFP net profit on the establishment of transmission, distribution and generation lines, so the central government, before privatising WAPDA should shift these assets to NWFP, he demanded.
