PESHAWAR: Adviser to the chief minister on finance Muzzammil Aslam on Wednesday said that KP was producing 70 per cent of the total hydel power generation and Punjab 30 per cent but the federal government had paid only Rs71.5 billion to KP and Rs177.7 billion to Punjab in the last three years in the head of net hydel profit.
In a statement issued here, Mr Aslam said that Punjab was paid Rs106.2 billion more than Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2024 to 2026 though KP’s share in hydropower generation was considerably higher than Punjab’s.
He said that following the Punjab government’s continued violation of Article 151 of the Constitution, the federal government had also been continuously violating Article 161(2) of the Constitution for the last three years, resulting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa being denied full payment of its constitutional right, namely the Net Hydel Profit (NHP).
He said that the continued violation of Article 151 of the Constitution by the Punjab government caused hurdles in the inter-provincial transportation of wheat, resulting in a significant increase in wheat prices not only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but across the country.
Says KP gets Rs71.5bn in NHP for 70pc hydel power generation, Punjab Rs177.7bn for 30pc
According to a report issued by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, wheat prices in the country increased by up to 85 per cent during the current year.
He said that on the other hand, the federal government has also been continuously violating Article 161(2) of the Constitution for the past three years, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is not being paid its full constitutional right in the form of Net Hydel Profit.
The adviser said that under Article 161(2) of the Constitution of Pakistan, the right to the net profits derived from a hydroelectric power station situated in a province belongs to that province. Under this constitutional principle, the province bearing the environmental, social and economic impacts of hydropower generation must be paid its Net Hydel Profit.
Mr Aslam said that during the same period (2024-2026), 12 hydropower plants located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa generated a total of 61.2 billion units of electricity, whereas the total generation from hydropower plants located in Punjab during the same period stood at only 23.5 billion units.
He said that despite all that, the federal government paid Punjab an additional Rs106.2 billion under the head of Net Hydel Profit, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was deprived of its legitimate and constitutional right.
“This situation indicates a clear imbalance in the distribution of resources by the federal government and an unusual tilt in favour of the Punjab government,” he said.
The adviser said that the perception that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is providing additional resources to strengthen and make the Punjab government successful became even stronger when Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continued to face delays in receiving its constitutional and legitimate rights.
He said the unequal distribution of federal resources is increasing the sense of injustice among the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and affecting their economic rights.
Mr Aslam said that the unequivocal demand of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is that the province should immediately be given its legitimate constitutional right and that the outstanding Rs106.2 billion under the head of Net Hydel Profit should be released without delay.
He said that the matter be placed before the meeting of the Council of Common Interests without any further delay so that fair distribution of resources in accordance with the Constitution and protection of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s rights can be ensured.
Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2026
