Parliamentarians from erstwhile Fata have called for a consensus among provinces on 3 percent share from National Finance Commission (NFC) award on annual basis for implementation of the 10-year development plan for the area, which must be reflected in the upcoming budget.
The parliamentary committee on Fata reforms, in its recommendations, had proposed that the NFC should allocate 3 percent of the available resources in the federal divisible pool on annual basis for the implementation of the 10-year development plan.
According to sources in the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), prior to the merger of Fata in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it was agreed by all stakeholders that of the said 3 percent, the federal government would provide 43 percent and the remaining 57 percent by the provinces. The 3 percent of divisible pool that is roughly estimated at Rs 100 billion will go to erstwhile Federally-Administered Tribal Area.
A senior official of the ministry of Safron clarified that the Rs 100 billion allocation under the NFC would be in addition to the existing annual PSDP allocation of Rs 21 billion. He said that the major aim of the 10-year plan is to reduce substantially the gaps in development and per capita indicators between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the areas that constituted FATA prior to their merger.
He said that the 10-year development plan envisages major infrastructure and irrigation projects, mineral development program and integrated plans for health, education, vocational training and establishment of industrial zones with special incentives.
Talking to Business Recorder, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak said that three provinces, including Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, have agreed to give their share to Fata. But, Sindh where Pakistan People's Party (PPP) is in power has yet to show its readiness to contribute its share.
He said that PPP was among the political parties that supported Fata reforms, including the 3 percent share in the NFC. "Efforts are underway and we are hopeful that Sindh government will also agree on the 3 percent share in the NFC for erstwhile Fata during discussions on the next NFC award," Khattak said, adding that it was necessary to evolve a consensus among the provinces.
He said that all the political parties and stakeholders should acknowledge that Fata needs special treatment and the development works need to be initiated without any delay. He pointed out that an important component of the new development plan is the concept of social transformation of FATA by encouraging urbanisation through setting up modern urban hubs in all tribal districts/headquarters and other important trading centres.
PPP's member of the National Assembly from the erstwhile Fata Sajid Hussain Turi said that his party's government in Sindh never opposed the proposal of Fata's 3 percent share in NFC for the next 10 years. "We have been asking the PTI government to convene the NFC meeting and the Sindh government will clarify its position in the meeting," Turi said.
He said that irrespective of their political affiliations, parliamentarians from the tribal districts are convinced that all provinces, including Sindh would acknowledge the fact that the tribal districts had been the worst victims of the war against terrorism.
"If the 3 percent share from the NFC was not reflected in the coming budget, there will be resentment among the people of Fata," he said. In 2016, on the insistence of Fata parliamentarians pushing for reforms, the Fata reforms committee, which was set up by the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and led by Sartaj Aziz, was assigned to compile a report on the best way forward.
The committee subsequently recommended that Fata be given three-percent share in the NFC award for the next 10 years among other benefits. Based on budget figures at the time, this three percent came to about Rs 100 billion. Turi also expressed concerns over the alleged discrimination in the distribution of Sehat cards through PTI parliamentarians in the tribal districts. He said health cards are being distributed among the PTI supporters.