PESHAWAR: A high-level meeting was held in the department of Finance, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to discuss matters related to the National Finance Commission (NFC). Accrording to an official handout, the meeting was chaired by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Advisor on Finance, Muzzammil Aslam, and attended by NFC Member Musharraf Rasool, Secretary Finance Aamir Sultan Tareen, Additional Secretary Gul Bano, Additional Secretary Tauseef Ahmad, Financial Analyst Waqas Paracha and other senior officials. During the meeting, Advisor Muzammil Aslam strongly emphasized the immediate need for the formal inclusion of the Merged Districts (formerly FATA) as the fifth group in the NFC. He expressed concern over the delay by the federal government in convening the NFC meeting, terming it a deliberate tactic that amounts to a neglect of constitutional and financial obligations. Advisor Finance asserted that the 7th NFC Award has lost its constitutional validity upon completion of its term, and any extension would be unconstitutional and unacceptable to the provincial government. DLP Report
It was decided in the meeting that a formal letter will be sent to the federal government, urging it to call the NFC meeting without further delay. Participants unanimously demanded the immediate release of KP’s rightful share for the Merged Districts and called for the provision of funds in line with the expenditures of these districts.
