The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal central leader Senator Professor Khurshid Ahmed flanked him.
The representative of political parties who attended the 'jirga' included Senator Farhatullah Khan Babar from PPPP, Senator Ilyas Ahmed Bilour of ANP, PPP Sherpao's MNA Syed Murid Kazim, MMA - MNA Maulana Atta ur Rehman besides leaders from other political parties. The jirga was presided over by Sirajul Haq.
Constitutionally, the federal government is bound to allocate provincial share in the revenue under the NFC Award after every five years, however, the issue is in limbo despite the then Finance Minister (currently Prime Minister) Shaukat Aziz assured the provinces that it would be after 18 months, he said.
Senator Khurshid Ahmed told the newsmen that usually preparations started from mid February before every year's annual budget and complete work in April. In this context, he asked the centre to ensure that NFC Award should be announced before the new budget.
They also urged the government to nominate NFC member from Sindh and complete its constitution as soon as possible.
Sindh member has resigned from NFC in 2004. Professor Khurshid said NWFP had been demanding payment of net electricity profit for the last 15 years for which federal government had set up an arbitration council to resolve the contentious issue but agreement in that regard had so far not been reached.
The NWFP, Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) had finalised their nominees for the council. It may be recalled that both the NWFP Government and Wapda locked horns on the appointment of Chairman.
The NWFP, Wapda and central government had, earlier, decided to form an arbitration council to amicably resolve the royalty issue.
Frontier Government has been claiming that Wapda has to pay Rs 2500 billion on account of accumulated royalty but Wapda rejects this contention.
Sirajul Haq told media that centre had agreed to NWFP' s demand of Rs 8 billion hydro profit contrary to its original claim (Rs 12 billion) per annum.
NWFP wants to have royalty under A G N Qazi formula that Wapda is out-rightly opposing, he added. The jirga demanded federal government should accelerate pace of work at Gurguri Gas Field, which was suspended for the last few months. They also strongly rejected the federal government's proposed gas pipeline plan from Kohat to Punjab via Jand.
The senior minister, however, made it clear that the gas pipeline should be brought to Peshawar via Kohat that would be included in the national grid.
Once the project is materialised, NWFP would be able to meet its all gas requirements besides giving 40 percent surplus utility to Punjab.
They underlined the need for giving provincial autonomy and complete hold to NWFP over its natural and mineral resources.
Responding to a question, jirga has asked the government to declare rain-affected NWFP as calamity-hit area and announce remission of agri loans.
Sirajul Haq categorically criticised the government's policy of gas load shedding for 45 days in NWFP, which badly affected the provincial industrial activities along with domestic consumers.