ANP asks govt to issue NFC award

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) has asked the government to issue the National Finance Commission (NFC) award forthwith.

Addressing a function at Nishtar Hall here, ANP provincial general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata would suffer due to the delay in the NFC award.

He asked the government to take steps for rehabilitating the infrastructure of the terrorism and military operations-affected districts. The ANP leader said that people should benefit from the merger of their respective districts with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the government should take serious steps to ensure provision of basic facilities to people of these districts. The ANP leader said the government should implement the 10-year package as announced and initiate new projects in the merged districts. He demanded ban on the appointments of non-locals in these districts.

He also demanded mega projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor for the merged districts. He lamented that despite the prime minister’s announcement, telephone and internet services had not been restored in the merged districts. He also said that the process of clearing of landmines in the merged districts should be expedited.

Sardar Babak said that border gates with Afghanistan should be opened to facilitate general public and trade, adding that procedure for exports and imports with Afghanistan needed to be made easier. He said that trade with Afghanistan could improve exports and help stabilise Pakistan’s economy.