PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi has said he strongly presented the case of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly the merged tribal districts, at the National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting, terming the denial of their constitutional share a clear violation of the Constitution.
Speaking to the media after the session, the Chief Minister said that following the 25th Constitutional Amendment, the tribal districts have been an administrative part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2018, yet they have still not received their rightful financial share under the NFC Award.
He said he firmly conveyed to all provincial representatives, the federal minister, and the Chief Minister of Sindh that under Article 160 of the Constitution, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must receive its complete NFC share, including the allocation for the merged districts. “Denying the tribal districts their due share is sheer injustice and amounts to discriminatory treatment,” he remarked.
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The Chief Minister said that all participants agreed in principle with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s stance, and it was decided that a subcommittee would be formed by Wednesday to finalize recommendations by January 8. He added that the next NFC meeting is expected to be held in mid-January, where the matter will be taken to its logical conclusion.
Highlighting the sacrifices of the province, he said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had borne the brunt of the war against terrorism, suffering massive losses to infrastructure, education, healthcare, the economy and employment. “Despite these unmatched sacrifices, the province has yet to receive its due financial rights,” he said, adding that while it was encouraging that other provinces were receiving their shares, the continued neglect of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was deeply regrettable.
Responding to a question, the Chief Minister pointed out that between 2013 and 2021; Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was the only government under which the NFC met twice.
However, he said, following the regime change in 2022, the NFC process remained stalled and the committee remained inactive from 2022 to 2025.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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