Blame game: Minister accuses centre of shortchanging K-P

Sirajul Haq accused the federal govt of neglecting the province.

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Minister for Finance Sirajul Haq accused the federal government of shortchanging the province and exacerbating its financial crisis while speaking at a two-day youth festival at Jinnah Park on Saturday.

The federal government allocated Rs261 million in development funds to K-P, out of which only Rs49 million was actually spent in the ongoing year, he said. He added the government was a ‘defaulter’ and owed the province this year’s shortfall as well as funds from previous years.

The minister said that K-P’s share of the National Finance Commission (NFC) award should be revised based on facts and increased by 5%. Haq also demanded that they be given complete authority over Pesco.

He threatened to stage a long march to the capital if the federal government failed to take K-P’s constitutional rights and monetary demands seriously.

On peace talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Haq said negotiations were a crucial step to restore peace in the country, adding that the release of prisoners should also be discussed in the dialogues.

Touching upon the country’s embattled history with Bangladesh, the provincial minister drew a parallel between the ‘prejudice’ and ‘neglect’ shown towards Fata and K-P, with that of erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2014.