PkMAP urges Centre to pay gas, electricity dues to KP

PESHAWAR: Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa head Dr Mohammad Ali on Saturday expressed concern over the precarious financial situation of the province and urged the federal government to pay KP its dues.

He was speaking at a gathering commemorating the 50th death anniversary of Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai.

Dr Mohammad Ali said that despite the province’s significant contribution to energy production, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was on the verge of financial collapse. He maintained that the province produced 7,000 megawatts of electricity, 90,000 barrels of oil per day and 4.5 million cubic meters of gas, yet KP faced financial instability. He said that the federal government must repay more than Rs2 trillion debt of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Dr Mohammad Ali underscored the need for increased provincial autonomy in the energy sector, advocating for the ownership of dams to be transferred to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He called for the rightful allocation of gas and oil royalties to the province, emphasizing that these measures could contribute to financial stability.

“After the 18th Amendment, provinces have the autonomy to generate their electricity. It’s time for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to have ownership of dams and receive the due royalties from gas and oil resources,” Dr Mohammad Ali said.

PkMAP senior vice-president and former MPA Mir Kalam Wazir shed light on the severe impact of the financial crisis on essential services, particularly in the education sector. He warned that universities in the province were on the brink of closure due to their inability to pay salaries to employees, adding that other departments were facing similar challenges.