PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) has demanded of the federal government to increase KP’s share in the National Finance Commission award. The party also urged to provide three percent of the NFC award funds to the merged districts. The demand was made by QWP chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao during a media talk at Turangzai area in Charsadda district. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) local leader and former nazim Alamzeb Khan Kakar announced joining the QWP along with his family members and supporters.

Asking the federal government to give KP its due rights, the QWP leader said the merged districts should be provided the promised funds while the province should be given arrears of the net hydel profit and gas royalty. He warned the rulers against amending the 18th Amendment.

Aftab Sherpao said the coalition government should avoid placing more burden on the poor, who were already facing backbreaking inflation in the wake of recent increase in the POL prices and power tariff.

Criticising the provincial government, he said it failed to secure the rights of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He said KP produced surplus gas and electricity but its residents were facing gas and power outages for long hours.

He slammed the KP chief minister for skipping the recent meeting of the National Economic Council, saying being the chief executive of the province he was supposed to attend it.

“He would have pleaded the case of the province had he attended the NEC meeting. He is a representative of the province and not that of the PTI,” he pointed out.

He said the province received less funds from the centre for the merged districts, adding the PTI government did not play its due role to safeguard the interests of KP. The QWP chief said the previous PTI government ruined the economy as well as the agriculture sector by increasing the prices of fertilisers, seeds and pesticides.

Instead of being self-sufficient in the production of wheat and sugar, the country was compelled to import these commodities owing to the bad policies of the previous government, he maintained.

Aftab Sherpao said the nation was bearing the brunt of the wrong policies of the previous PTI government. He said the price of the US dollar was rising and the current account deficit increased.

He said Imran Khan should play his role as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and instead of indulging in political rhetoric.

He said Imran Khan staged a failed long march and was now looking to the Supreme Court and the ‘neutrals’ to help him out.

“On the one hand, he is seeking help from the neutrals and on the other hand his party has launched a social media campaign against them,” he maintained.

He said the PTI chief was responsible for the prevailing mess, but instead of accepting his failure he was telling lies to the nation. Aftab Sherpao said the federal government should increase KP’s share in the National Finance Commission award. He said the provinces should provide three percent of the NFC award funds to the merged districts.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022