Awami National Party (ANP) has expressed reservations over unconstitutional cut in the share of the provinces in the federal divisible pool under National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. In a statement issued here from Bacha Khan Markaz here on Sunday, ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan has said that the taking of such step it would be felt that the federal government wants to amend the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
He said that giving share to FATA under NFC Award is welcoming step as the previous National Assembly and Council of Common Interest (CCI) both have recommended granting share to it in the divisible pool. He said that FATA had been merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and it is nowhere mentioned in the constitution that the development process of FATA will be carried out through cuts in the receipts of KP and other provinces.
The ANP chief said that the constitution explains that development process in FATA will be completed by the KP government. Therefore, he said the federal government instead of cutting the share of KP should further strengthen it financially. Wali also demanded the holding of local bodies and provincial assembly polls in FATA as soon as possible. He clarified to centre that any misadventure of constitution in the name of FATA.
He said that 18th Constitutional Amendment is the big achievement of the then ANP-led provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which had helped abolish the sense of the deprivation of small federating units and warned if they were once again deprived of their rights through traditional procedures, they would also join other political parties to oppose that unconstitutional act of the government.
The ANP chief further said that before decreasing the share of the provinces, it should have to amend the constitution and then it will be able to spend the share of one in another province. Criticizing the federal government, he said that the task given to Imran Khan by the invisible forces to further amend the 18th constitutional amendment will not be easy.
He said that not only the future of Pakhtuns rather the future of all deprived nations is linked with the amendment. He further demanded the announcement of 8th NFC Award as soon as possible as further delay in it will not only be unconstitutional, but will also be harmful for the federation.