Abrogation of Obligation to Provinces

Asem Mustafa Awan

The governments of Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan have complained of serious financial difficulties due to non-payment of arrears and dues by the federal government.

Addressing a joint press conference in KP House, Islamabad, the chief ministers and representatives of the two provinces and the federally administered AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan said that the federal government is trying to sabotage the finances of PTI-governed units.

According to KP Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, since the change of government at the center, the incumbent federal government administration has held back Rs189 billion from the province. This is causing serious financial difficulties for the province to meet its financial obligations. The situation is become dire.

Mehmood Khan also complained about the non-receipt of the dues of 61 billion of the NFC award from the Center of the hydropower whilst Rs10 billion announced by the centre for the flood victims have also not been released.

Similarly, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid complained that the budget of GB has been draconically reduced from Rs40 billion to Rs25 billion rupees. This shortfall is making it difficult for GB’s to honour its financial commitments.

Likewise, Punjab Finance Minister Mohsin Leghari shared that the federal government has withheld Rs176.4 billion from Punjab’s share. The plane to end the health card scheme will severely impact on the health care facilities for the poor and the needy. AJK Finance Minister Abdul Majeed Khan also expressed the fear that ongoing projects in AJK will be severely jeopardised due to non-payment of dues from the federal government.

The awards to the provinces are guided by the National Finance Commission under a mathematical formula. The NFC Award is regulated under Article 160 (I) of the Constitution. Under sub-clause 3B of Article 160, the federal and provincial finance ministers are responsible for monitoring the implementation of the NFC Award and for submitting their separate reports in this regard to the National and Provincial Assemblies.

But it seems that the centre is ignoring the established legal protocols in release of funds to the provinces under PTI governance. This is nothing short of blatant political victimization. The country’s national interest and stability is being traded for the political agendas of vested interests. The PTI has the government in Punjab, KP, AJK and G-B while PDM has coalition governments in Sindh and Balochistan.

Interestingly, both of these provinces are silent on the issue funds from the federal treasury which seems to suggest that they have received their dues. If this is the case then this is another example of political favouritism.

The political rivalry has reached to such heights that the Federal government is even prepared to abrogate its basic obligations to the provinces solely to create difficulties for the governments of the opposite party. This is political victimisation at its height.

Pakistan has recently gone through a terrible flooding. The large areas of KP, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan were devastated by the floods. Thousands have been left with roofs over their heads and are facing starvation. The cold winter is adding to their misery. To hold back funds due from the flood affected areas is unacceptable for any number of reasons given that the Pakistan has received substantial aid in this regard.

Since the developed world is in a way responsible for this ecological disaster the United Nations had made appeal and arranged funds for Pakistan amounting in many millions of dollars. Pakistan did get the aid amounting up to fifty percent in total in the form of material and cash. The question is will this aid reach the flood affectees?

The writer is a journalist based in Islamabad and writes on a wide range of issues.