Fair distribution call: QWP wants NFC released before budget

Sikandar Sherpao warns of street protest if demand ignored

SHABQADAR: The Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) has warned the government of street protests if the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award is not announced before the upcoming budget.

Party’s provincial chairman and K-P’s senior minister Sikandar Khan Sherpao, while addressing a news conference in his native village Sherpao near here on Tuesday, criticised the federal government over delay in the announcement of the NFC award.

He claimed that the government wanted to go ahead with the old NFC instead of announcing a new one “which is not acceptable to us”. He demanded that K-P should be given its due share from the net hydel profits in line with the AGN Qazi formula. He also asked other provinces to support K-P in the context.



Sherpao said before the 18th constitutional amendment, the Centre enjoyed more powers -- both administrative and financial – in many departments like education, health, etc. After the said amendment, he added, all these departments had been devolved to provinces, but the Centre had been shying away from announcing the NFC, creating a critical financial situation for the federating units.

Now it is up to the federal government to take the bold step of announcing the NFC award, he demanded.

Commenting on the Dawn Leaks, the minister asked the government to declassify the report and punish those responsible. But he made it clear that his party would not support any move aimed at derailing democracy due to such leaks.



Answering a question, he opposed early elections in the country and said the government should complete its tenure.