CHARSADDA: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) provincial Chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao has asked the federal government to take steps for financial stability of cash-strapped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Speaking at a meeting of party workers and office-bearers in Sherpao village here, he expressed concern over the poor financial position of KP and held the previous PTI-led provincial government responsible for the prevailing state of affairs.
Sikandar Sherpao said the PTI ruled KP for nine years and left the province in dire financial straits. “The province is facing a financial crunch due to the ill-conceived economic policies of the previous PTI government,” he added.
The QWP leader said that KP had fallen into huge debt owing to the flawed policies and bad governance of the PTI. Asking the federal government to help out KP, he said the Centre should pay the outstanding arrears of the net hydel profit, gas and oil royalty to stabilise the provincial economy. Sikandar Sherpao said that it would amount to violation of the Constitution if the federal government did not give the cash-strapped province its due rights and share. Urging the federal government to announce the new National Finance Commission (NFC) award at the earliest, he feared the delay would deepen the sense of deprivation among the smaller federating units.
He demanded an increase in the share of the provinces in the NFC award. He maintained that all the state institutions should work within the constitutional framework. The QWP, he said, had raised its voice for the rights of the province at all forums and it would continue to safeguard the provincial rights. He asked the party workers to launch the mass contact drive with full force and organise the party at the grassroots level. Sikandar Sherpao urged the party workers to get ready for the next elections and bring in more and more people to the party fold.
