Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has issued a pressing appeal to President Asif Ali Zardari, calling for the immediate convening of the 10th National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting. In a strongly worded letter, Gandapur highlighted what he describes as a constitutional and financial injustice stemming from the integration of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) into K-P, a change formalized by the 25th Constitutional Amendment.
Gandapur pointed out that the merger has added 5.7 million residents to K-P’s population, yet the financial resources allocated to these newly incorporated regions remain under the federal government’s control. He stressed that the current funding framework, rooted in the seventh NFC Award established in 2010, fails to account for this significant demographic shift. “The seventh NFC Award is outdated and does not reflect the realities brought about by the 25th Amendment,” he wrote, according to sources from Express News. He argued that persisting with this arrangement is not only impractical but also “unconstitutional and unjust.”
The K-P chief minister underscored that Article 160 of the Constitution, alongside the stipulations of the 25th Amendment, mandates a fair redistribution of resources. He labeled the continued reliance on the old NFC Award as a violation of these legal provisions, asserting that it deprives K-P’s residents—including those in the merged tribal districts—of their rightful share. “This is unacceptable to the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,” Gandapur declared, urging swift corrective action.
In his appeal, Gandapur emphasized the broader implications of the funding shortfall. He warned that the failure to allocate resources based on the updated population figures is stalling development initiatives and undermining efforts to foster lasting peace and stability in the former FATA regions. These areas, he noted, require significant investment to recover from years of neglect and conflict.
The chief minister called on President Zardari to prioritize the issue and convene the 10th NFC meeting without further delay. Additionally, he pressed the federal government to revise its financial allocations to K-P, insisting that funds must reflect the province’s current population, including the merged districts. Gandapur’s letter signals a growing tension between K-P and the federal authorities, as the province seeks to secure its constitutional entitlements amid evolving regional dynamics.
