Islamabad: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s prime minister, Ali Gandapur, asked the Federal Government to release funds that are due to KP under the National Finance Commission before April 30, or will march on Islamabad with all the provincial machinery.
At a press conference held in the Federal Capital on Friday, the KP prime minister said that the province was promised greater participation in the NFC award at the time of Fata Fusion. However, despite the inclusion of almost 5.8 million people in the province, the center has not paid anything under the Finance Award.
“NFC is my basic right, and if we are not given, I will go out with the people of the province, its police and the administration. We are not weak enough to ensure our rights,” he warned that the federal government led by the PML-N.
It should be noted that the last time the KP CM marched on Islamabad was in November to demand the release of Imran Khan from Adiala Jail.
The long march ended in bloodshed, with PTI claiming several dead in the repression of the State.
In addition, CM Gandapur said the federal government also has to grant more than RS75 billion to the provincial government under the accelerated implementation program (AIP).
“If we receive the funds, it will bring investment and development in KP, which will lead to job creation. This will reduce terrorism in the province and the country,” he said.
The CM said that the KP government successfully resolved the Kurram conflict and spent more than RS1 billion of its own resources for the installation of CCTV cameras and verification publications in the area to maintain peace. “We ask that C130 aircraft from the center changed the victims, but no attention was paid to our application,” he said.
“Our people took arms due to our wrong policies. Now weapons are being used (militants). This is wrong; we have to trust them. We are working on it in addition to empowering the provincial police. The results will not materialize unless the center maintains conversations,” said the CM.
Speaking that Afghan refugees were deported by Pakistan, the CM rejected the decision to expel Afghan nationals.
“Forced repatriation is against our tradition and politics. It will be an inhuman act if we leave Afghan refugees on the Afghan border where they do not take place (to stay) … we are creating camps for Afghan refugees in KP where they can live until they wish, and there will be no forced repatriation of these camps,” he added.
In response to a question about his meeting with the founder of PTI, Imran Khan, CM Gandapur said that despite having permission and being the prime minister of a province, he was allowed to meet with the founder of the party after two months.
In response to a question about whether Imran Khan had commissioned him to have conversations with the army as reported in the media, the CM said: “It was an individual meeting, and did not give any statement after that; then, how can someone more affirm that Imran Khan has given me such a task? Imran I will not make any treatment for his own service. However, the incorrect things must be rectified.”
Posted in Dawn, April 5, 2025
