PESHAWAR—The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, Sohail Afridi, presided over a high-level Joint Steering Committee meeting at KP House Islamabad today to finalize development funds for tribal districts.
During the session, the provincial government confirmed the provision of Rs30.3 billion in bridge financing to prevent the stalling of high-priority projects. This internal funding will sustain essential infrastructure while the province awaits federal releases.
However, the chief minister expressed serious concern that the federal government has not released a single rupee under the Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP) this year.
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Federal Pledges and Fiscal Disparities
The federal government provided fresh assurances during the meeting to streamline the release of development funds for tribal districts. Specifically, Islamabad pledged to release Rs20 billion immediately for regional uplift, followed by an additional Rs9.3 billion for high-impact projects. Despite these promises,
Chief Minister Afridi highlighted a massive fiscal gap. He noted that other provinces have absorbed Rs1,375 billion of the tribal districts’ National Finance Commission (NFC) share over the last seven years.
Furthermore, the provincial administration has already utilized Rs28 billion to enhance the capacity of the KP Police. This investment includes providing modern weaponry and establishing police lines in the merged regions. Afridi argued that without consistent development funds for tribal districts, the hard-earned stability in the border regions remains at risk. He emphasized that the residents deserve their full financial rights to overcome decades of marginalization.
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Solarization and Academic Infrastructure
The committee also approved a summary for a new Annual Development Programme (ADP) scheme to provide solar energy for households. By directing development funds for tribal districts toward green energy, the government aims to provide immediate relief to thousands of families. Chief Minister Afridi confirmed that the province is ready to increase its financial contribution to expand this project’s reach.
Additionally, the meeting reviewed the progress of FATA University. The government has already released Rs2.5 billion for the university’s strengthening under a recently approved PC-1. Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal supported the province’s demand, stating that withholding the NFC share from the merged districts is an injustice. He confirmed that he has formally requested the Prime Minister to ensure the full provision of financial resources to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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Youth Skills and Security Reform
The briefing revealed that the government has already spent Rs7 billion on establishing police infrastructure in the tribal belt. To further empower the local population, the committee discussed a new scheme to provide technical skills and internships to 1,000 tribal youth. These initiatives rely entirely on the timely arrival of development funds for tribal districts to ensure long-term economic integration.
Ultimately, the participants agreed to monitor the progress of these high-priority projects on a weekly basis. The provincial leadership maintained that the federal government must fulfill its constitutional obligations to ensure peace and prosperity in the merged districts.
