KP minister defends budget presentation ahead of Centre

PESHAWAR: Finance Minister Aftab Alam on Tuesday said that there was no constitutional or legal bar over a provincial government to present the budget before the federal government.

Winding up the debate on annual budget for 2024-25, he said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government reflected all the revenue estimates in the light of its due share in the federal divisible pool and net hydel profit.

“Budgetary figures are the collection of estimates for revenue and expenditures and we have not withdrawn from our claims and due shares in the national resources,” the minister said and added that under the National Finance Commission Award the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had 14 percent share in national resources which was about Rs902 billion.

He said that after the merger of tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the federal government was bound to increase KP’s share to 19 percent in the divisible pool. “We are morally and constitutionally bound to reflect our shares in our annual budget,” he said and asked the opposition parties to support the PTI government in its struggle for provincial rights and control over resources. He said the provincial government reflected not only the current share in net hydel profit that was about Rs33 billion but also showed Rs1800 billion as arrears in the net hydel profit under AGN Kazi formula.

The minister said that the Chashma Right Bank Canal project would not only irrigate thousands of acres of land in southern districts but also make the province self-sufficient in food.

“The provincial government has allocated Rs2 billion for this project in the annual budget while more allocation would be made for its early completion,” he said and added that the allocation of Dir Motorway, Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway under the public private partnership were the mega projects of the government. He defended the Rs3 billion allocation for Bus Rapid Transit and said the BRT would complete after construction of commercial plazas and buildings. He termed the Ihsaas Programme for educated and skilled youth as revolutionary steps on the part of the PTI government that would provide interest-free loans for jobs and business opportunities. The minister termed the Sehat Insaf Card a public friendly project of the government which had benefited thousands of poor people.

Earlier, Pakistan People’s Party parliamentary party leader Ahmad Karim Kundi while participating in budget debate said the previous PTI-led government had neither announced new NFC award nor given its due shares to provinces including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the party was in government for the last 10 years. “The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had not received its shares and arrears even in Riyasat Madina (Imran Khan government in the Centre),” he said and added the opposition parties will support the provincial government if it adopted a serious approach and used proper forums for getting the provincial rights.

Members from treasury benches while participating in the budget debate termed the annual budget for 2024-25 as public friendly where more funds had been allocated for social welfare, health, education and self-reliance schemes.

Meanwhile, a member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet Dr Amjad Ali claimed the officials of spy agencies and police had put pressure on him to quit politics and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during his imprisonment prior to February 8 polls.

Speaking on the provincial assembly floor, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Housing Dr Amjad said the police along with officials in plainclothes had conducted about 26 raids on his house while he was sent to jail various times on different charges. “During my imprisonment, the intelligence agencies’ people put pressure on me to change loyalty and quit the PTI but I stuck to my political ideology,” he added.

He alleged the law-enforcement agencies picked up his 12-year-old son and asked him to release a 10-second video about quitting politics. He said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expressed confidence in Imran Khan’s vision and voted the PTI to power for a third term in the province.