The caretaker government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to talk to the caretaker prime minister about financial issues in the province, especially in its tribal areas. They want to fix these problems.
In a meeting led by the caretaker Chief Minister, retired Justice Arshad Hussain Shah, they discussed this decision. The meeting included important people like the chief secretary, inspector general of police, and others.
They explained that although the tribal areas were now officially part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the financial part of this union wasn’t complete. This was causing financial problems for the provincial government. Promises made during the merger weren’t being kept, affecting the overall development of the tribal areas.
The officials also shared that the province wasn’t getting its fair share of finances from the federal government. The population increased with the merger, but the share of money didn’t increase accordingly.
They said the province needed Rs 142 billion every year for the tribal areas, but the federal government only allowed Rs 66 billion this year. This caused a shortfall of Rs76 billion for current expenses.
The federal government also made promises about helping with the quick development of the tribal areas, but these promises were not fulfilled. For example, a commitment to provide Rs 19.7 billion for strengthening the police in tribal areas had not been kept.
Regarding payments the federal government owes the province, they mentioned about Rs88 billion in net hydel profit and Rs50 billion for the windfall levy on oil. These payments were pending.
The Chief Minister said that the tribal areas needed special attention for development, and the lack of enough money from the federal government was slowing things down. However, he assured that the government would do its best to overcome this financial crisis.
