Shahid Jan
PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) Member of the Provincial Assembly Nisar Baz has strongly criticized the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa budget and alleged continued financial and administrative neglect of the province by both the federal and provincial governments.
Speaking to the media after the provincial budget presentation, he said expectations were that the Chief Minister Sohail Afridi would “effectively represent the province’s case,” but claimed that key financial matters were not adequately addressed.
Nisar Baz alleged that the provincial government had “surrendered” Rs109 billion during discussions with the federal government and questioned why the issue of the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award was not properly raised at the federal level by senior provincial leadership.
Moreover, he went on to say that only Rs27 billion were allocated through the Annual Development Program (ADP), but Rs157 billion was reportedly being utilized in the merged districts, which were formerly known as FATA.
He expressed his worries about the deteriorating security situation prevailing in the merged tribal districts, saying that the situation is deteriorating with time and causing an ever-growing gap between the state and the locals.
In addition, he pointed out that the tribal areas have seen the state of instability prevail for over two decades now, while the government and the provincial government could not ensure peace and development.
Furthermore, Nisar Baz asked the government about their development expenditures in the merged districts, saying that even though Rs55 billion were allocated to this region, there was a requirement for clarity about the actual utilization of these funds.
Moreover, he sought details about the expenditures made for rehabilitation purposes such as Rs18 billion allocated to the victims of military operations, along with funds for flooding and natural disasters.
