A meeting of the Climate Change Council was held at Islamabad on Friday with Prime Minister in the chair. Chief Ministers of the provinces also attended the meeting via video link. Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, while protesting against the injustice and unfair attitude of incumbent federal government towards Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has reiterated his commitment not to compromise on the legitimate rights of the province and made it clear that we will go all out to ensure protection of our resources and rights of the people.
He said that the federal government wants to take control of the carbon credit of the province, which is the right and asset of the province; we cannot allow anyone else to take it over. He maintained that 45 percent of the country’s forests is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and similarly 50 percent of the country’s total carbon credit is generated by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is the right of the people of this province; we will never let anyone else to usurp it.
Ali Amin Gandapur further clarified that 80 percent of the forests in the province are under private ownership of the people, so it is his responsibility to ensure the protection of the rights of his people. By obstructing the appointment of the new chief secretary to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, if the federal government thinks that we will give up our constitutional rights, then it is just their delusion.
He also asked the federation to make payment of the arrears of the province as early as possible and expressed his concerns that raids are being conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the issue of electricity and FIRs are being filed against consumers, adding that it would be much better for them to sit down and discuss this matter with us; we want to know clearly how much is the province’s deficit in terms of electricity. “We want to give relief to our people through deduction in our arrears owed to thae federation, but in return, load shedding in the province and injustice to the people should be stopped once and for all”, he remarked.
The Chief Minister further said that the federal government receives a tax of Rs.300 billion per annum on tobacco being produced in the province. This tax is also the right of the province and province should have the right to receive this.
However, we will definitely provide the legitimate share of the federation, but we cannot let them to usurp the money of the people in that way, he stated. We should be taken into confidence in all these matters and the way forward must be decided through mutual discussion on the issues regarding constitutional rights of the province and “Nadir Shahi” order should not be imposed on us, he concluded.
