NWFP has reservations about Nato forces' presence - minister

Peshawar: NWFP information minister Asif Iqbal Daudzai said though the MMA government in the province had reservations on the presence of Nato forces in the country but the issue was related to foreign policy that was formulated by the federal government.

He told journalists his government believed that Pakistan's armed forces and civil administration were capable of handling relief and rehabilitation activities in the earthquake- affected areas in the NWFP and Pakistani zone of Kashmir and, therefore, there was no need of foreign troops to do the job. However, the minister added that the NWFP government had welcomed all other assistance to cope with the unprecedented tragedy.

He was repeatedly asked to comment on strong statements by leaders of a major constituent of the MMA in which they made it clear that Nato forces would not be allowed to operate in the five quake hit districts of NWFP.

The minister wriggled out of the situation by pointing out that allowing Nato troops in the country was an issue of foreign policy and, therefore, the prerogative of the federal government.

To another question, the information minister said the federal government was fulfilling the commitments it had made with the NWFP with regard to relief for quake victims. "We have no complaints right now. The federal government has promised to equally distribute all foreign and local aid between the quake-hit in NWFP and Kashmir.

"Earlier, two shares were being allocated to Kashmir and one to NWFP but the Centre agreed to our plea for parity when our government pointed out that 4 million people living in 17,000sqkm area were affected in the province compared to 3.2 million inhabiting 12,000sqkm in Kashmir," he explained.