Nawaz calls for early NFC allocations to GB, AJK

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif has urged the federal government to award National Finance Commission (NFC) Award shares to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) even before any formal request has been made by the two regions.

Addressing party leaders from GB and AJK in Lahore, Nawaz stressed the need to select the “best possible candidates” for the upcoming elections scheduled for January 24. He said that party tickets must be awarded strictly on merit, adding that adherence to this principle was essential for organizational discipline.

Stressing that all party decisions regarding the two regions must be governed by merit, Nawaz warned that infighting at the local level had cost the party several seats in the past. Such conflicts, he warned, would no longer be tolerated. “Anyone involved in internal fights should be kept out. We cannot allow our affairs to be damaged by bringing such persons into the centre,” he said.

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He said the political environment was favorable for the party and should be fully exploited. While many would seek party tickets under such circumstances, he noted the importance of distinguishing between true loyalists and outsiders.

Nawaz said the NFC award should not be claimed by GB and AJK; instead, the federal government should take the lead. He said he would take up the matter with the prime minister, adding that federal investment in both regions already exceeded what they would have received through the NFC.

Highlighting development initiatives, he pointed out that more than Rs 53 billion had been spent on the Gilgit-Skardu Highway. The Frontier Works Organization had earlier estimated the project’s cost at between Rs50 billion and Rs60 billion. Even if funds had come through NFC, he said, they would not have matched the investment already made.

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Nawaz said both regions should receive funds according to their rights, but noted that neither AJK nor GB currently had the institutional capacity to fully utilize large financial allocations. He emphasized that strengthening institutional capacity must accompany increased funding.

The former prime minister asked Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal to convey the party’s stand to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and said he would also raise the matter himself. He reiterated that GB and AJK must receive NFC-based funding and that such allocations should not depend on anyone’s discretion.

Nawaz called for a fixed annual amount to be allocated for each region, with a clear specification of how much is earmarked for GB and how much for AJK. He directed party officials to start receiving applications for election tickets and said he would visit Muzaffarabad, Gilgit or Skardu to meet candidates and hold consultations aimed at helping the party take informed policy decisions.