CCI meeting: Centre stands for judicious water distribution among provinces, says PM Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister, Imran Khan, told the Council of Common Interests (CCI) Monday that his government stood for judicious distribution of water among the federating units and a high-level panel was formed to thrash out recommendations within a month to the forum.

The Council met for its 41st session after a gap of over a year, whereas the Constitution binds it to meet after every 90 days. The prime minister chaired the forum, which was participated by chief ministers of the four provinces, besides other high-ranking officials from the Centre and the provinces. Briefing the media about the decisions taken during the meeting, which started at 2:30pm andcontinued till 9:00pm, Special Assistant to PM on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the committee, consisting of professionals and technical experts, will furnish recommendations on net hydel profit (NHP) on the basis of the AGN Kazi formula. The meeting was given briefing on the formula and it was decided to fully implement the related constitutional clauses, keeping in view the financial and administrative aspects. The council also decided to install telemetry system to allay reservations, if any, of the provinces, ensuring fair distribution of water.

The prime minister welcomed the participants and reiterated his resolve that the four provinces were the federating units, which were the guarantors of the protection of rights of the citizens enshrined in the Constitution. He said the Council was a platform to debate, deliberate on issues and evolve consensus through consultations so the fruits of decisions taken here could reach the public.

Imran Khan directed the provinces to take measures for curtailing population growth and effectively tackle this challenge and requested the president to head the task force thereon and evolve consensus on this extremely important national issue among the provinces and develop a strategy.

Regarding payable NHP, the meeting decided that interest worth Rs11 billion be adjusted through Nepra tariff. On the issue of NoC for the launch of a 25 megawatts power plant on Chasham Link Canal, the meeting deferred it till the next meeting for want of a formula on its implementation and pricing for 25 years. However, it acknowledged the fact that installation of power plants was the provinces’ right but it should be settled and its tariff be determined by Nepra. The meeting approved the petroleum exploration and production policy of 2012 and it was decided that provinces would now be part of process of giving extension to licenses. On the pending issue of royalty on LPG, it was decided that the royalty would be decided on the basis of sale price of gas, which was previously not decided. Regarding implementation of the clauses of Articles 172 and 158, it was decided to form a committee that would present its report within a month.

Dr Firdous said a paradigm shift for alternative energy on war footing would open up a new corridor of investment in energy sector under a complete road map and the provinces and foreign investors would have the right to launch alternative energy projects. On some points by the provinces regarding AEPs, a committee was formed despite the fact that provinces in principle agreed to the initiative.

On a question regarding PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s refusal to appear before NAB, Dr Firdous recalled that his father also used to say such things, dared NAB to arrest him and then was arrested, landed in a hospital and then on health grounds, was given bail. She said that Bilawal wanted to benefit both ways, having two narratives: on one hand, Sindh chief minister, the elected one, today was part of CCI meeting and the prime minister gave him more time than the rest, while on the other, Bilawal says Imran Khan is a selected PM. “It shows Bilawal is confused, stuck in two narratives. The reality is that Imran Khan will remain prime minister for another four years and the PPP will be wiped out completely from Sindh, if continued with its relationship with corruption,” she warned.

To another question, she said the prime minister neither wanted to accord step-motherly treatment to any province nor would do so and had met Sindh chief minister as top representative of a federating unit. She lamented that polio could not be controlled while Pakistan managed to crush the menace of terrorism. The meeting resolved to take forward the agenda of polio-free 2020. The prime minister asked the tasks force on polio at the federal level to monitor the campaigns in the provinces and directed there would be zero tolerance regarding the quality of vaccination.