A federal negotiating team, led by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, held a detailed meeting with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Monday. The discussions covered a wide range of inter-provincial matters, including consultations with PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the upcoming National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, the province's constitutional and financial rights, development funds for the merged districts, energy issues, wheat supply, hydropower projects, and other key issues.
CM Afridi highlights discriminatory treatment
Chief Minister Afridi conveyed to the federal delegation that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has been consistently subjected to discriminatory and unfair treatment. He warned that if the denial of the province's legitimate constitutional and financial rights continues, participation in the NEC meeting would become difficult. He emphasised that consultation with Imran Khan before important budget decisions and national-level matters is essential.
Afridi highlighted that continuous cuts in the province's development and financial shares have reached alarming levels. He further stated that the NFC share of the merged districts has been unconstitutionally withheld for the past eight years, severely hampering development and public welfare in these areas. "It is unfortunate that after every meeting with federal representatives, instead of resolving issues, we see more injustices being inflicted on the province," the Chief Minister remarked.
Key issues raised by KP CM
- Obstacles in wheat supply from Punjab
- Province's gas rights
- Problems with hydropower projects
- Non-operational Swat dam due to delayed NOCs for Chinese engineers
- Bus terminal project stalled due to NOC delay from National Highway Authority
Federal minister's assurance
In response, Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal assured the provincial government that the required No Objection Certificate for the bus terminal project would be issued within 24 hours. The meeting concluded with a commitment to continue dialogue on the remaining issues.
