ANP says new NFC ToRs against provinces’ interests

The Awami National Party has rejected the terms of reference for the 11th National Finance Commission, declaring them against the financial rights of provinces. In a statement issued here on Tuesday, ANP provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the move was an attempt to undermine the financial autonomy of the provinces granted under the 18th Amendment. He said the new NFC ToRs were not acceptable to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “The ANP rejects the new NFC terms, calling them an act of looting the provinces’ financial rights,” he said. Mr Hussain said that Article 160(3A) of the Constitution didn’t allow a reduction in the provinces’ share in national resources, but the federal government wrongly wanted to shift the burden of development projects and natural disasters to provinces. He demanded that every province be represented by its “own people” at the NFC to ensure the resolution of their genuine issues and financial needs in real sense.