Peshawar: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi addressed a joint press conference alongside Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) Chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rahman at Mufti Mahmood Markaz late Monday night. The Chief Minister stated that the purpose of the meeting was to hold detailed consultations on the province's constitutional and financial rights and to develop a consensus-based approach for the protection of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's interests.
NFC Award and Financial Rights
The Chief Minister said that the most pressing issue relating to provincial rights was Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's share under the National Finance Commission (NFC) framework. He clarified that the federal government had subjected the province to discriminatory treatment over the past eight years. He noted that after the merger of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018, more than six million additional citizens became part of the province. However, the share attributable to the merged districts was not being provided to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and was instead being distributed among the other provinces.
The Chief Minister said that he had raised the matter during his meeting with the federal minister earlier in the day and had conveyed that the existing NFC Award had effectively become obsolete and outdated. He called for either an immediate revision of the current arrangement or the constitution of the Eleventh NFC Award.
Wheat Supply Issue
Referring to the issue of wheat supply, the Chief Minister said that the government of Punjab had continued to block the supply of wheat to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, describing the move as a clear violation of Article 151 of the Constitution. He termed the measure unconstitutional and said that consensus had been reached with Maulana Fazlur Rehman that such a situation should not be allowed to continue. He added that both sides would raise a joint voice and pursue efforts against the unconstitutional action.
Gas Supply and Constitutional Rights
The Chief Minister said that the second major issue discussed was the suspension of gas supply to the province. Referring to Article 158 of the Constitution, he said that a province producing natural gas had the first right to meet its own requirements before any surplus was supplied to other parts of the country. He noted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produces more than 500 MMCFD of natural gas on a daily basis, while the province's total consumption stands at approximately 150 MMCFD. He said that, by this calculation, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa supplies around 350 MMCFD of gas to the rest of the country. Despite this, the province continues to face persistent gas load-shedding by the federal authorities.
The Chief Minister said that full consensus had also been reached with Maulana Fazlur Rehman on this issue and that a common position would be adopted in this regard as well. He further added that detailed discussions had been held on other issues confronting the tribal districts, and reaffirmed the commitment to continue joint efforts for the protection of the constitutional, financial, and fundamental rights of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Deeni Madaris Registration
Responding to a question regarding consensus with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) on the registration of Deeni Madaris, the Chief Minister clarified that the provincial government would support legislation for the registration of madrassas and would play a positive and constructive role in that process.
