KP seeks transfer of funds for merged districts

PESHAWAR: Adviser to the Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif on Monday called for the immediate transfer of the funds meant for the merged districts to the provincial government in light of the current situation.

“The law and order in the merged districts is a serious concern, yet the federal government has unlawfully withheld the funds allocated for these areas,” he said in a statement.Saif asserted that following the merger, the funds for the merged districts constitutionally and legally belong to the province.

Withholding these funds is a violation of both the Constitution and the law. He urged the federal government to rise above political bias and cooperate with the province on critical issues like security, rather than politicizing them.

The adviser added that the provincial government is making effective efforts to maintain peace and order in the merged districts within its available resources.To this end, billions of rupees have been allocated to enhance the capabilities of the police and the Counter Terrorism Department.

However, he stressed that the federal government must stop treating the province unfairly and fulfill its constitutional obligations.Saif said that the purpose of the merger was to bring the merged districts on a par with the rest of the province and to accelerate development in these areas. “Unfortunately, the federal government has retained the funds and failed to transfer them to the province, thereby hampering the development process,” he added.