ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has assured Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of his full support in resolving all legitimate financial issues facing the province.
According to the finance ministry, both leaders discussed various economic and financial challenges currently affecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The meeting took place in a cordial and constructive atmosphere. CM Afridi briefed the finance minister about the difficulties his province is facing, particularly regarding the release of funds.
Moreover, Aurangzeb told the chief minister that the federal government is committed to helping provincial governments overcome their financial challenges. He promised full support for the resolution of all legitimate issues raised by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Meeting Follows High-Level Provincial Conference
This meeting is significant as it came just one day after President Asif Ali Zardari chaired a session in Islamabad with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and all provincial chief ministers, including Sohail Afridi.
Afridi’s participation in Monday’s presidential meeting drew attention because his party, PTI, usually stays away from such gatherings due to political differences with the ruling alliance.
Long-Standing Funding Disputes
Since taking charge as chief minister in October last year, Sohail Afridi has repeatedly accused the federal government of delaying the release of funds meant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially those allocated for the merged districts under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award.
Last week, the KP government formally requested the Centre to review and revise the NFC resource distribution formula. The province also suggested that the federal government should consider giving discretionary grants to all provinces until a new consensus is reached.
