LAHORE, June 18: Punjab Finance Minister Hasnain Bahadur Dreshak on Friday said he was not in a position to state if poverty had decreased in Punjab during the last few years.

"The federal Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) indicates that Punjab houses over 58 per cent of the country's poor that is higher than its population share of 57.36 per cent in relation to national population," he responded to a query by this reporter at his post-budget press conference on Friday.

Referring to federal Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz's claims during his budget speech that poverty had been reduced across the country over the last few years, he was asked to give his own assessment of the situation in Punjab.

"We don't have exact data to confirm or negate whether poverty has reduced in the province or not. But regardless of this debate we would continue to attack poverty of sustenance and poverty of deprivation in Punjab," Mr Dareshek said, adding about 25 million people lived below the poverty line in the province.

His reluctance to corroborate Mr Aziz's claim about the poverty situation in Punjab is being seen as the Punjab government's disagreement with the assertion of the federal finance minister.

Mr Dareshek said while poverty of sustenance or need was being addressed through Zakat, Baitul Ma'al and other similar projects, poverty of deprivation was being attacked through distribution of state agriculture land to the poor.

NFC AWARD: In response to another question, the minister said "he could not say how much additional monies the province would have received had the 6th NFC award finalized before the budget". However, he said, all the provinces would have received over Rs50 billion if the award were finalized in time.

The delay in the finalization of the NFC award had undoubtedly hurt the interests of all the provinces equally and they had been deprived of additional resources, he said. He was hopeful that an amicable solution to this issue would be found during the next fiscal year.

He also defended Punjab's stance in the NFC negotiations as it was in line with the spirit of the 1973 constitution. "It's based on a principle," he added.

PFC: Mr Dareshek said the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) had completed its deliberations on resource transfer to the districts due to the delay in the NFC award.

He said the "districts had been transferred funds this year on the basis of the interim PFC. Punjab is the only province that is practically transferring funds to local governments.