PTI parliamentary party constitutes body to assess KP budget issues

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s provincial parliamentary party has set up a special legal team to examine constitutional and legal questions surrounding the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa budget as the party continues to wait for permission to meet its jailed founder, Imran Khan.

The decision was taken at a late-night parliamentary party meeting on Friday. The move comes amid continuing internal strains within the party, with some members raising concerns over what they see as insufficient efforts to secure Mr Khan’s release. Earlier in the week, Aleema Khan, Mr Khan’s sister, had also asked Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi not to present the budget before meeting him. A similar issue had surfaced last year as well during budget consultations with the PTI founder.

Budget options under review

According to a participant in the meeting, the party agreed that the budget should be passed because failing to do so would harm the provincial government. The same participant said some members also discussed the option of presenting a three-month budget, though that proposal did not receive much attention.

The member said the newly formed legal committee was tasked with reviewing every aspect of the budget process and was due to meet on Saturday night. A statement issued after the meeting said that if access to the former prime minister continued to be denied, the legal team would conduct a detailed assessment of all constitutional and legal options linked to the budget and prepare a broader legal course aimed at protecting the constitutional rights of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The statement said the meeting reviewed the federal government’s recent conduct, the developing situation around the provincial budget, the possibility of cuts in development allocations and the wider political environment. It added that participants agreed on pursuing a strong political and legal strategy to defend what they described as the legitimate interests of the province and its people.

Finance department ready to present annual budget

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s Adviser on Finance Muzzammil Aslam told Dawn that the finance department had sent a summary for presentation of the provincial budget on June 15, but the approved summary had not yet reached the speaker’s office.

Mr Aslam said the provincial side had been told by the federal government in meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar that the National Finance Commission would be updated through a presidential ordinance in return for fiscal space from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the provincial leadership had also asked the federal side to arrange a meeting with Imran Khan so his approval could be obtained.

He said the PTI founder had previously backed decisions taken in the national interest and on security matters and would do the same again. At the same time, he said a meeting with Mr Khan remained a legitimate demand and that the federal government should permit it. According to Mr Aslam, no clearance for such a meeting had been received so far.

Mr Aslam said the finance department had prepared a full-year budget and could present it whenever directed by the provincial government.

"We have done our work and ready to present it whenever government tells us to do so," he said.

Warning against cuts or intervention

The statement issued after the meeting said participants made clear that any attempt to weaken the province’s budgetary autonomy or reduce its development resources would be unacceptable. It added that any move by the federal government to cut the province’s budgetary allocations or development funds would not be accepted without consultation with Imran Khan.

The parliamentary party also warned against any move to interfere with the province’s democratic mandate, financial entitlements or development interests.

"The parliamentary party emphasised that any effort by the federal government to restrict the province’s democratic mandate, financial entitlements or development interests would invite strong political resistance," the statement said.

It added that those held responsible for undermining the public mandate would be challenged and exposed through constitutional, political and public forums. The meeting also reiterated that every constitutional and democratic avenue would be used to protect the rights of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and that no unconstitutional action would be met with silence or acquiescence.