LAHORE: PML-N President and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to provide funds to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award formula.
Speaking to party leaders in Lahore, Nawaz stressed that both regions should receive a fixed annual share through the NFC, calling it “very important” for their development. He noted, however, that AJK and GB must also build the capacity to effectively utilise these funds, recalling previous instances where allocated money remained underutilised.
Nawaz’s call carries weight, as smaller provinces have repeatedly resisted including AJK and GB in the NFC share. The proposal was first floated during Imran Khan’s tenure and has been supported in the past by current Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
The former premier also directed the party to accept applications for AJK and GB elections by December 31, warning that internal conflicts over ticket allocation would not be tolerated. He said he plans to visit both regions to meet candidates personally before decisions are finalised.
Nawaz praised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for her performance, highlighting projects such as cancer hospitals, model villages and the metro bus system.
His remarks come days after the federal government, during the latest NFC meeting, proposed mobilising additional revenue equal to more than 5% of GDP over the next three years. While participants denied speculation about reducing provincial shares, they confirmed that AJK and GB’s fiscal needs will be examined at the working-group level.
The developments follow a turbulent political period in AJK marked by protests, a communications blackout, violence, and a no-confidence vote that removed former premier Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, replaced by PPP’s Faisal Rathore in November.
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