PESHAWAR: Awami National Party has urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to prepare provincial budget in consultation with relevant stakeholders to ensure merit and allocate development funds on need basis instead of political affiliations.

Party’s provincial general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak in a statement here on Thursday suggested that the government should let the planning and development department to work independently for development of the hitherto neglected areas of the province.

Mr Babak, who is also ANP’s parliamentary leader in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, warned that allocation of funds on the basis of political affiliation and keeping the opposition lawmakers deprived would be harmful.

He said it was the government’s duty to take all stakeholders on board in preparation of the provincial budget to ensure transparency. He said instead of allocating the funds in closed-door meetings the government should discuss the issues on the floor of the house, at open forums and steering committees to bring all the underdeveloped areas on a par with the developed ones.

The ANP leader alleged that the government had ignored the opposition members’ constituencies, saying that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf should not push the opposition to wall and approve the schemes of all MPAs without any prejudice.

He said despite its tall claims the government had failed to fulfil its commitment and remove the sense of deprivation among the masses.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2021