Peshawar  -  The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has demanded an equitable share in the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.

A letter, formally sent to the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue by KP’s Finance and Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Muzammil Aslam, criticized the federal government for its lack of cooperation on NFC matters concerning the newly merged districts. Minister Aslam expressed concern over the federal government’s “cold attitude” towards KP, emphasizing that the province deserves equal rights under the NFC based on geography and population.

He highlighted that withholding funds amid KP’s ongoing security challenges is “unprofessional,” especially given KP’s frontline role in combating terrorism. The provincial government stated it would continue to advocate for the province’s rights. The letter stressed that the 7th NFC Award extension would not be accepted without accounting for KP’s full population and geography, as outlined in the 25th Constitutional Amendment. It referenced a Grand Jirga led by the Chief Minister on September 5, where stakeholders demanded the release of funds owed to the merged districts. KP noted that the NFC, a constitutional forum under the Eighteenth Amendment, has not been implemented effectively. The letter argued that transferring financially deprived tribal districts into KP, an already resource-stretched province, has been an ongoing challenge.

The provincial government urged an immediate correction of the 7th NFC Award, highlighting unresolved financial needs and calling for an NFC meeting at the earliest. It maintained that extending the award without recognizing KP’s constitutional boundaries and population remains unacceptable.