'CCI should acknowledge K-P's rights over resources'

Sirajul Haq says K-P faces a severe financial crisis due to the prejudice of central bureaucracy

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Minister for Finance Sirajul Haq said the Council of Common Interests should accept K-P’s rights by holding a census and should fairly distribute resources before the upcoming financial award.

Haq was speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of the newly nominated cabinet of Abasin Column Writers Association (ACWA) at Peshawar Press Club on Friday. He said it was necessary to collect correct facts and figures for the National Finance Commission (NFC) award in the country, adding that the share of K-P should be increased by 5% in NFC. Haq also demanded that they should be given complete generation authority of Peshawar Electric Supply Company.

“Our province has more crude oil and gas than we need,” said Haq, “The federal government should acknowledge our rights over these resources in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan.”

Ddue to the prejudice of the central bureaucracy, K-P faces a severe financial crisis, he added.

Discussing peace talks, Haq said negotiation was crucial to restore peace in the country, and that they did not want a huge displacement in K-P again.

“The whole nation will stand with the committee formed for negotiations with the Taliban,”added the senior minister.

The K-P government was very serious about ‘Green and Clean Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’, and has allocated huge funds for the cause, shared Haq. He added they have also minimised the expenditures of provincial ministers and shared that their salaries were ranged between Rs18,000 and Rs24,000.

He announced Rs100,000 on the occasion as appreciation for ACWA, to mark their services.