Punjab, Centre blatantly violating constitution: Advisor to KP CM

PESHAWAR: Advisor to KP Chief Minister on Finance Muzzammil Aslam has said that following the Punjab government’s continued violation of Article 151 of the Constitution, the federal government has also been continuously violating Article 161(2) of the Constitution for the past three years, resulting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa being denied full payment of its constitutional right, namely the Net Hydel Profit (NHP).

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Muzzammil Aslam said that the continued violation of Article 151 of the Constitution by the Punjab government caused hurdles in the inter-provincial transportation of wheat, resulting in a significant increase in wheat prices not only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but across the country.

According to a report issued by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, wheat prices in the country increased by up to 85 percent during the current year.

He said that, on the other hand, the federal government has also been continuously violating Article 161(2) of the Constitution for the past three years, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is not being paid its full constitutional right in the form of Net Hydel Profit.

The Finance Advisor said that under Article 161(2) of the Constitution of Pakistan, the right to the net profits derived from a hydroelectric power station situated in a province belongs to that province. Under this constitutional principle, the province bearing the environmental, social and economic impacts of hydropower generation must be paid its Net Hydel Profit.

Muzzammil Aslam said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is Pakistan’s largest hydropower-producing province and contributes more than 70 percent of the country’s total hydropower generation to the national grid, while Punjab’s share in hydropower generation is approximately 30 percent, with a significant portion coming from the Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project and other projects.

In this context, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has a significant constitutional right to Net Hydel Profit on the basis of hydropower generated within the province.

He said that during the last three years, from 2024 to 2026, Punjab was paid Rs177.7 billion under the head of Net Hydel Profit, whereas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa received only Rs71.5 billion. Thus, Punjab was paid Rs106.2 billion more than Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, despite the fact that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s share in hydropower generation is considerably higher than that of Punjab.

The Finance Advisor said that during the same period, 12 hydropower plants located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa generated a total of 61.2 billion units of electricity, whereas the total generation from hydropower plants located in Punjab during the same period stood at only 23.5 billion units.

Muzzammil Aslam said that despite these figures, the federal government paid Punjab an additional Rs106.2 billion under the head of Net Hydel Profit, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was deprived of its legitimate and constitutional right. This situation indicates a clear imbalance in the distribution of resources by the federal government and an unusual tilt in favour of the Punjab government.

He said that the perception that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is providing additional resources to strengthen and make the Punjab government successful becomes even stronger when Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to face delays in receiving its constitutional and legitimate rights. The unequal distribution of federal resources is increasing the sense of injustice among the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and affecting their economic rights.

The Finance Advisor to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said that the unequivocal demand of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is that the province should immediately be given its legitimate constitutional right and that the outstanding Rs106.2 billion under the head of Net Hydel Profit should be released without delay.

Muzzammil Aslam demanded that the matter be placed before the meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) without any further delay so that fair distribution of resources in accordance with the Constitution and protection of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s rights can be ensured.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026