The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government on Monday reached out to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) for support in addressing several longstanding provincial issues. Both parties have committed to collaborating on matters concerning provincial rights and law and order, including net hydel profits, the National Finance Commission (NFC) award, and restrictions on wheat supplies from Punjab.
Meeting Between CM Afridi and Maulana Fazlur Rehman
The understanding emerged during a meeting between K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at the party's central office in Peshawar. Following the talks, a joint press conference was held where both leaders outlined the areas of consensus.
Afridi stated that discussions focused on provincial rights and a range of issues confronting K-P. He accused the federal government of treating the province unfairly in the distribution of resources under the NFC framework. According to him, the NFC award is constitutionally meant to ensure an equitable distribution of resources among all four provinces, but K-P is not receiving its due share.
Key Issues Discussed
- Net Hydel Profits: K-P has long demanded its rightful share of net hydel profits from the federal government.
- NFC Award: The province claims it is being shortchanged in resource distribution under the NFC award.
- Wheat Supply Restrictions: Restrictions on wheat supplies from Punjab have been a contentious issue for K-P.
Consensus Reached
Fazlur Rehman confirmed that both sides had reached consensus on a number of important issues. He emphasized that the NFC award is a constitutional right of the provinces and was approved through parliamentary consensus. The JUI-F chief pledged to support K-P's stance on these matters.
The meeting signals a potential political alignment between the K-P government and JUI-F, which could influence provincial-federal relations moving forward.
