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| NWFP to get hydel profit arrears in four years: Gilani |
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Sunday, November 01, 2009
By Riaz Khan Daudzai
PESHAWAR: Announcing the schedule for the payment of net hydel profit arrears, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday disbursed the first instalment of Rs 10 billion to the NWFP government and set up Rs 50 million fund for the victims of the bomb blasts.
The prime minister, who had come to Peshawar to express solidarity with the victims of the Meena Bazaar blast, chaired three crucial meetings at the Governor’s House in which important decisions were made.
At the end of his day-long interactions, Gilani briefed the media and said the main objective of his visit to Peshawar was to show solidarity with the people of the province and victims of Wednesday’s blast. He said they condemned the cowardice act of terrorism’ carried out by those working for a foreign agenda. He paid tributes to the people of Peshawar and personnel of the law-enforcement agencies, who rendered sacrifices for the security of the country.
The prime minister also spoke about US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to the country and said it showed the commonality between Pakistan and America on the agenda to fight terrorism.
The prime minister said she met the civil society, political leadership, intelligentsia, common people and traders during her trip to learn their opinions which showed that the US and Pakistan shared the same views on the issue of fighting the scourge of terrorism.
He said the government had conceded the longstanding demand of the NWFP and decided to pay the net hydel profit arrears of Rs 110 billion for the year 2004-05 and first instalment of Rs10 billion was immediately being disbursed to the provincial government.
Reading out his written order, the prime minister said the remaining amount would be paid to the provincial government over the next four years and the province would receive Rs25 billion instalment in the first quarter of every fiscal year.
About the markup, interest and arrears till 2008-09 to the tune of Rs 141.4 billion, as earlier claimed by the provincial government and in increase in the capped amount of Rs 6 billion, the prime minister said a technical committee, having State Minister Hina Rabbani Khar among others as its members, was constituted to look into these matters.
Gilani in his monologue said that during the meeting on law and order it was observed that security was the primary responsibility of the government and it had to provide protection to the life and property of the people as without it the economy could not be improved.
Both are inter-related and the government has to work on the improvement of the law and order. “It is building the capacity of the law-enforcement agencies and an amount of Rs23billion will be earmarked for the purpose,” he added.
The prime minister said he himself would head the committee constituted to look after the capacity-building process of the law-enforcement agencies.
He also ruled out any difference of opinion in the political leadership on the issue of taking on the terrorists and said the national political leadership was united in their efforts to defeat terrorism, “as there is no other option.”
Gilani said the military action was not the only solution to the problem of the terrorism and militancy in the country, as its root causes were in the poverty and lack of education and priority to these areas would prove to be a paradigm shift for the progress. “It needs a political solution,” he added.
Flanked by NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira, Governor Owais Ghani and Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, the prime minister dispelled the impression that the people dislocated from Waziristan during the ongoing military operation were not getting the kind of attention given to those displaced from Malakand
Referring to the 3Ds strategy of the government for the areas where military operations are under way, the prime minister said in Malakand they were now in the stage of reconstruction and development and 80 per cent of the IDPs had retuned while the rest would soon go back to their native towns in the valley.
He added that the Army would stay in Malakand till the revival of line departments and other institutions in the division.
Gilani said the charter of the university in Swat was also approved.
Turning to the problems being faced by the IDPs of Waziristan, he said the people of Waziristan were rendering great sacrifices for the stability of the country and they would be provided every possible help. “Mehsuds are patriot tribesmen and only foreign elements are disturbing peace in their region.” These elements, he said, had no ideology, but to destabilise Pakistan.
“The government has been working out an exit strategy for Waziristan like the one it devised for Malakand,” Gilani said and added the government would not repeat the mistake the US committed in Afghanistan by leaving the war-torn country in the lurch after the withdrawal of the Soviet forces.
“The government would not allow political, economic and social vacuum in the areas wherein operations are being carried out,” Gilani added.
The prime minister said Rs2.5 billion had been released even before the commencement of the operation so that those uprooted during the military operation could be looked after properly.
Similarly, a committee, comprising NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira and chief of the Special Support Group Gen Nadeem, was constituted to examine the pre and post-operation steps and assist the needs for Waziristan and other areas in the Fata and province so that an exit strategy and reconstruction plan could be mapped out in the light of its recommendations, the prime minister said and added the committee would submit its report to him within 30 days.
The prime minister also approved on the lines of the Army Shuhada Fund in all the four provinces a trust for the police personnel killed in the line of duty during the ongoing war against militants, for which seed money will come from the prime minister’s fund.
A trauma centre was also approved for Peshawar in the prime minister’s visit.
Answering a question, the prime minister said that Chitral and Upper Dir were also among the areas receiving the relief package.
APP adds: The federal government, he said, would also consider the demand of Rs23 billion by the NWFP government for the capacity building and meeting various needs to fight terrorism.
Answering another question, Gilani said parliament would take decision on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). “Parliament is a supreme body and proper forum to take decision on the NRO.”
Earlier, the prime minister chaired a high-level meeting on the security and law and order situation in the NWFP at the Governor’s House.
The prime minister, who arrived here on a day-long visit, discussed matters relating to security in the province and directed the authorities to take effective measures to protect the life and property of the masses.
The meeting was attended by Governor NWFP Owais Ahmad Ghani, Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, State Minister for Finance Hina Rabbani Khar, federal ministers Lal Muhammad Khan and Najmuddin Khan.
Fayyaz Toro, Special Secretary, Home, NWFP briefed the prime minister on the security situation in the province. Chief Secretary NWFP Javed Iqbal, IGP Malik Naveed and other high officials were also present in the briefing.
The meeting also discussed the status of displaced families due to military operation in South Waziristan. He was briefed on the assistance being provided to the IDPs of South Waziristan Agency.
Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister said the entire nation was supporting the government and the Army and the political and military leadership were united in the fight against terrorists.
He said the terrorists would be chased and crushed everywhere in Pakistan, where they challenge the writ of the government, kill innocent people, including women and children, destroy schools or disrupt civilian life.
While discussing the security situation, the prime minister said the government would effectively check cross border terrorism and would leave no stone unturned to defeat the enemies.
He asked the interior minister to review the policy regarding the Explosive Act.
Earlier, the meeting offered Fateha for the departed souls of the Meena Bazaar blast, and prayed for the early recovery of the injured.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
