We, too, are a province

Sir: One of the biggest injustices against the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the people of Punjab, who form the majority in the federal government, is the denial of hydropower profits for the past many years. Under some estimates, it amounts to more than Rs 110 billion, an amount that could have spearheaded the development of the entire province and its surroundings. The federal government claims that there are not enough funds to pay the whole amount at once but then it is also not paying the yearly amount fixed by the courts. There is a solution for this problem, which can benefit the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and also the federal government at the same time.
One of the main reasons there are not enough industries or large businesses operating in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the high cost of business. Since the province is far from the sea ports, transportation of raw material and finished goods to the ports and back creates additional costs that makes business in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa noncompetitive with the businesses in Sindh or Punjab. During the rule of Ayub Khan, a novel idea was implemented wherein the rate of electricity and natural gas for industries was discounted for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Many large industries were set up and worked very well in the province. When the policy was done away with by the federal government, the large industries moved to Punjab and Sindh provinces. Therefore, the federal government could now allow a subsidiary on electricity and natural gas rate, which can be paid from the hydel profits of the province. This subsidiary will entice large industries to set up shop in the province, creating jobs and secondary industries, which will all help increase economic activity and revenue for the province.
SAMAN BASEER KHAN
Peshawar