Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday said that the PTI’s provincial government would participate in the National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting on December 4 and “fight the case for our province and its people” in the best possible manner.
The 11th NFC was constituted on Aug 22 to finalise a new award for sharing federal divisible resources between the Centre and the provinces.
The first meeting was originally scheduled for Aug 27, then delayed to Aug 29 for unspecified reasons. This, too, was postponed on the request of the Sindh government due to flood-related engagements. The session was later rescheduled for Nov 17, then Nov 18, and again deferred at the desire of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Earlier this week, CM Afridi said that the federal government still owed Rs1.3 trillion under the NFC framework to the province.
Addressing a press conference in Peshawar today, the CM said that the erstwhile tribal areas were merged with KP administratively in 2018, but they were yet to be financially integrated. The NFC share for the merged districts had not been paid to KP since 2018, he added, deeming it “constitutional violation”.
He further said that the federal government should consider the provincial government’s suggestions for maintaining lasting peace in the province, adding that “decisions taken behind closed doors” adversely affected KP.
“If the federal government implements our suggestions, it will be our responsibility to carry out decisions and maintain the law and order situation,” CM Afridi said.
“The provincial government wants all stakeholders to be taken on board about any decision regarding peace in the province.”
The chief minister alleged that the “powers-that-be” had always conspired to push the PTI into conflict, but emphasised that the party would remain peaceful, adding that it “will, however, never hesitate to offer sacrifices”.
“Persistent efforts have been made to isolate the PTI and peaceful protesters were shot at,” CM Afridi said, claiming that founder PTI Imran Khan was being kept in isolation and all visitors, including his sisters, were being denied a meeting with the incarcerated ex-premier.
The chief minister said the PTI had decided that all parliamentarians would peacefully protest outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday. They would also accompany Imran’s sisters to the Adiala jail, and the provincial government would follow directions issued by party leadership.
“All the parliamentarians, including provincial and national assembly members, along with senators, will protest outside the IHC over delayed case hearings. They will all then move towards Adiala, accompanying Imran Khan’s sisters,” CM Afridi told reporters.
The CM said that after reports by the international media about the PTI founder’s health, he went to the Adiala jail to meet Imran on November 27, but was refused an audience, even after spending the entire night outside the prison in a sit-in protest.
He said that he decided to hold a sit-in outside the Adiala jail because his party was being mistreated. He also claimed that while some chief ministers were “faciliatated and offered Pakistan Air Force jets”, his name was added to the passport control list.
Fielding questions, the chief minister said “no part of KP is under the control of the militants”. However, without naming anyone, CM Afridi alleged “the entire country is being controlled by one person”.
While responding to another question, the chief minister said his family owned property in Tirah but denied owning any himself, adding that a recent documentary against him was an attempt to divert public attention, but people never believed those who shared the documentary.
“People know everything. They know who is lying, and we want them to do their job, and only then, the country will develop,” the chief minister said.
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