Gandapur urges President Zardari to convene 10th NFC meeting
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has written to President Asif Ali Zardari, urging him to immediately convene a meeting of the 10th National Finance Commission (NFC), citing constitutional and financial concerns linked to the merger of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) into K-P.
In his letter, Gandapur emphasised that following the 25th Constitutional Amendment, the 5.7 million residents of the erstwhile FATA are now officially part of K-P. However, he stated that the financial resources allocated to these regions remain under federal control, according to Express News.
'The seventh NFC Award was issued in 2010, and no adjustments have been made to reflect the changes brought about by the 25th Amendment,' the chief minister wrote. He argued that continuing the seventh NFC Award without such revisions is "unconstitutional, illegal, and inappropriate."
Gandapur asserted that extending the current NFC Award violates Article 160 of the Constitution as well as the provisions of the 25th Amendment. He said the extension of the outdated award is unacceptable to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who have not received their rightful share of resources.
Calling for immediate action, he urged the president to ensure that the 10th NFC Commission meeting is convened without delay.
He warned that the denial of constitutionally mandated rights to the merged districts is obstructing development and efforts to establish sustainable peace and stability in those areas.
He also demanded that the federal government begin allocating financial resources to K-P based on the revised population figures, which now include the merged tribal districts.
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