Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
Legislators belonging to former FATA on Friday demanded of the government to ensure three percent share of NFC to tribal merged districts to bring the areas at par with other developed areas of the country.
They said that ex-FATA area has faced negative effects of the turmoil in Afghanistan and if proper attention was not given for its development, it might affect the peace not only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but the entire country.
The previous government and all political parties were agreed over provision of three percent share of NFC to FATA merged districts with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
If the agreed commitment could not fulfill it would further increase deprivations of tribal people and negative impact on the country.
These views were expressed by FATA legislators in national assembly in a call attention notice. MNAs Dr Haider Ali Khan, Sajid Khan and Junaid Akbar presented the call attention notice while Speaker Asad Qaisar was on chair.
Presenting the call attention notice, Dr Haider Ali Khan said that the finance division could not play its due role in provision of 3% of the NFC to tribal merged districts.
Responding to a Calling Attention Notice regarding non-allocation of additional three percent of National Finance Commission Award to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the development of erstwhile FATA, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Zain Qureshi said that Rs270 billion so far the federal government has released to KP government for the development of merged districts.
He said that Rs121 billion were released in 2019-20, while 121 billion rupees were allocated in last fiscal year.
The parliamentary secretary further said that Rs51.5 billion were released, whereas an additional amount of Rs129.7 billion have been allocated during the current fiscal year.
The Parliamentary Secretary said 8th and 9th NFC Award has so far been not announced, while work on 10th Award is underway and all the provinces should contribute their share for the development of tribal districts.
He also said that NFC is a constitutional body and could not come under the jurisdiction of finance division.
The finance division can only play the role of just like a secretariat for NFC, therefore, the cabinet and NFC Board can make decision over provision of 3% share to tribal districts.
