K-P says NEC meeting yielded progress on NFC award and merged districts funding

ISLAMABAD: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Wednesday that the province had forcefully presented its position at the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, pressing for the protection of its constitutional, financial and development-related rights.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Afridi said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had assured participants that regular meetings would be held to update the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award within 180 days. He added that if consensus was not reached within that time, a summary would be forwarded to the president for a presidential order to revise the award.

The chief minister described the decision to include the financial share of the merged districts in the new NFC Award as a major development for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, particularly for residents of the former tribal areas. On the Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP) for the merged districts, he said proposed reductions had been eased considerably after discussions, though the provincial government had continued to seek further improvement.

Merged districts and development allocations

Afridi said the provincial government was hopeful of additional improvements in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) and the AIP so that development gains could reach people in the merged districts without delay.

He also raised Article 151 of the Constitution, saying it places responsibility on the federation to ensure the unrestricted movement of essential commodities. Afridi said that if this provision could not be implemented, then the relevant clause should be repealed so provinces could frame their own policies.

On wheat supply, the chief minister said that under an agreement with the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASCO), the province would receive 175,000 tons of wheat at a fixed rate. He said the federal government had also assured Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa that wheat prices would not be increased.

Security spending and provincial priorities

Highlighting the province’s spending on security, Afridi said Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was making the biggest investment in peace and public safety in the country. He said that since October 5, 2025, more than Rs30 billion had been spent to strengthen the police, the Counter-Terrorism Department and the Special Branch.

He said the provincial government would continue to build the capacity of these institutions to protect life and property. Afridi added that ties with the federal government would be taken forward while keeping provincial rights and public interest at the forefront, and said participation in NEC and NFC meetings was necessary for safeguarding both.

The chief minister said education, health and law and order remained the provincial government’s top priorities. Referring to the Health Card programme, he called it a landmark initiative of PTI founder Imran Khan and said it was providing free medical treatment to every citizen of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Forest cover and environmental policy

On environmental issues, Afridi said Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa accounted for about 45 per cent of Pakistan’s total forest cover, while 26.7 per cent of the province’s own land area was under forests. He said a dedicated fund would be created to promote forests in the province.

He added that instead of permitting tree cutting on private land, the provincial government would directly purchase trees and compensate landowners in an effort to encourage more plantation.