ISLAMABAD: Chief Ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan, while Finance Ministers of Punjab and Azad Kashmir have demanded of the federal government to release their rightful share of funds.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday which was also attended by KP Finance Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra, GB CM Khalid Khurshid Khan, AJK Finance Minister Abdul Majid Khan and Punjab Finance Minister Mohsin Leghari, the Chief Minister of KP Mahmood Khan said that despite writing several letters, the federal government wasn’t paying any heed to resolve their financial issues.
Mahmood Khan said that his government had announced a budget of Rs1.3 trillion for the current fiscal year, with focus on investing in the people and development schemes that were near completion, however, “we haven’t received funds as yet.” He further said that the KP government was faced with financial crush since the day PDM-led coalition government came to power in April this year.
He said “I am warning the federal government today to give us our dues, our money, which is our right. We are not asking for charity,” adding that the funds to be paid had reached Rs189 billion in December.
“The current budget [for merged areas] is Rs60bn while our requirement is Rs85bn,” he said. Moreover, he said, the KP government is also being deprived of Rs4.5bn set aside for the Sehat Card programme in merged areas and Rs17bn for displaced persons.
Speaking on this occasion, the Chief Minister of Gilgit Baltistan Khurshid Shah said while the development budget for all other regions was increased this year but for GB, it was reduced from Rs40bn to Rs25bn. “This has never happened in our history,” he remarked, terming the move “enmity with the region”.
The GB CM alleged that not a single project under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was launched in GB, which had a significant capacity to produce electricity. He warned that under present circumstances, his government was left with no option but to join its people and go on strike.
“We will hold a strike across GB and then, if possible, we will also bring people here (Islamabad). We will hold a cabinet meeting outside the National Assembly. They have made a joke out of this.”
