ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Gandapur has asked the federal government to release funds owed to KP under the National Finance Commission by April 30, or he will march on Islamabad with the entire provincial machinery.

In a press conference held in the federal capital on Friday, the KP chief minister said the province was promised an increased share in the NFC Award at the time of Fata merger. However, despite the inclusion of almost 5.8 million people in the province, the Centre has not paid KP anything under the finance award.

“NFC is my basic right, and if it is not given to us, I will come out with the people of the province, its police, and the administration. We are not weak enough to clinch our rights,” he warned the federal government led by the PML-N.

It may be noted that the last time the KP CM marched on Islamabad was in November to demand the release of Imran Khan from Adiala jail.

The long march ended in bloodshed, with PTI claiming several dead in the state crackdown.

Furthermore, CM Gandapur said the federal government also has to give over Rs75 billion to the provincial government under the Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP).

“If we receive the funds, it will bring investment and development in KP, which will lead to the creation of jobs. This will reduce terrorism in the province and the country,” he said.

The CM said the KP government successfully resolved the Kurram conflict and spent over Rs1 billion from its own resources for the installation of CCTV cameras and check-posts in the area to maintain peace. “We asked for C130 aircraft from the Centre to shift the victims, but no heed was paid to our request,” he claimed.

“Our people took up arms because of our wrong policies. Now arms are being used against them (militants). This is wrong; we have to take them into confidence. We are working on it besides empowering the provincial police. Results will not materialise unless the Centre holds talks,” the CM said.

Speaking about the Afghan refugees being deported by Pakistan, the CM rejected the decision to expel the Afghan nationals.

“Forced repatriation is against our tradition and policy. It will be an inhumane act if we leave Afghan refugees at the Afghan border where they have no place (to stay)… We are setting up camps for Afghan refugees in KP where they can live till they want, and there will be no forced repatriation from these camps,” he added.

Responding to a question about his meeting with PTI’s jailed founder Imran Khan, CM Gandapur said that despite having permission and being the chief minister of a province, he was allowed to meet the party founder after two months.

In response to a question about whether Imran Khan had tasked him to hold talks with the army as reported in the media, the CM said, “It was a one-on-one meeting, and I did not give any statement after it; then how can someone else claim that Imran Khan has given me such a task? Imran will not make any deal for his own sake. However, wrong things must be rectified,” he added.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2025