Prime minister assures NFC Award revision within 180 days, KP chief minister says

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has assured Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that formal meetings to revise the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award will be convened within 180 days, including consideration of the merged districts in the resource-sharing framework, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference after attending the National Economic Council meeting, Afridi said the provincial government had presented its position on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s constitutional, financial and development rights.

He said that if the NFC discussions failed to produce a consensus, a summary would be sent to the president for a final decision through a presidential order.

Afridi maintained that including the merged districts in the NFC formula would improve resource distribution and address longstanding financial concerns in the former tribal areas.

He said proposed cuts to the Accelerated Implementation Programme for the merged districts had been substantially reversed following negotiations, although the provincial government would continue seeking higher allocations.

The chief minister expressed hope that funding under both the Annual Development Programme and Accelerated Implementation Programme would be increased to accelerate development work in the merged districts.

Afridi said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would receive 175,000 tonnes of wheat through the Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation Limited under an agreement at a fixed rate.

He added that the federal government had assured the province that the wheat price would not be increased.

Referring to Article 151 of the Constitution, the chief minister said ensuring the free movement of essential commodities was a federal responsibility.

He argued that if the provision could not be implemented effectively, it should be reviewed or amended to provide provinces with greater flexibility in managing essential supplies.

Afridi said the provincial government had spent more than Rs30 billion since October 2025 to strengthen the police, Counter Terrorism Department and Special Branch.

He said investment in law enforcement and security institutions would continue as part of efforts to improve public safety.

The chief minister identified education, healthcare and law and order as the provincial government’s main priorities.

He said welfare initiatives including the Ehsaas Programme, shelter homes, Zamaung Kor and No One Sleeps Hungry were being implemented across the province.

Afridi also described the Sehat Card as a central welfare programme providing free healthcare services to residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The chief minister said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounted for around 45% of Pakistan’s total forest cover, while forests covered 26.7% of the province’s land area.

He announced plans to establish a dedicated fund for expanding forest cover.

Under the proposed approach, the provincial government would purchase trees grown on private land rather than allowing them to be cut down.

Afridi said individuals planting trees on barren land would also receive government assistance to promote afforestation.