KP CM Sohail Afridi. Photo: Screengrab
PESHAWAR:
In a rare show of cross-party unity during the pre-budget debate in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, both government and opposition members sharply criticized the provincial government for sidelining elected representatives in the budget-making process, accusing the bureaucracy of dominating fiscal planning while ignoring the input of assembly members.
MPAs from various parties complained that the bureaucracy prepares the budget, which is then tabled in Parliament only for rubber-stamp approval, with little regard for suggestions from elected representatives. “We don’t know whether the government or the institutions are running the province,” several lawmakers remarked, highlighting a growing sense of marginalization among assembly members.
Prominent speakers including Obaidur Rehman, Shazia Tahmas, Munir Hussain Laghmani, Ali Shah Khan, Ashbar Jadon, Shafiullah, Mehr Sultana, Arbab Waseem, Abdul Salam Afridi, Rehana Ismail, Ajab Gul, Khalid Khan, Khadija Bibi, Asif Khanood and Farah to express concern.
They pointed out chronic delays in key infrastructure projects, especially the Dir highway, which have missed deadlines despite funds allocated in the previous budget. Lawmakers stressed the need for sufficient allocations this year to complete the project and called for the launch of revenue-generating initiatives, including hydropower projects that could simultaneously boost electricity supply and provincial revenue.
Other demands included greater attention to girls’ education through the construction of schools in disadvantaged areas, the establishment of vocational training centers and municipal schools for women, subsidies to farmers to strengthen agriculture, and measures to control pollution in urban and rural areas. Speakers also urged setting up factories in mineral-rich areas like Karak and prioritizing development in neglected regions like Abbottabad, where no major work has been done for over a decade.
In response, adviser to the finance minister Muzzammil Aslam assured the house that suggestions of MPAs, especially women members, would be incorporated in the upcoming budget.
Separately, the assembly decided to send a list of absent departmental secretaries to the chief minister and chief secretary. President Idris Khattak led the action after noting that they did not participate. PPP’s Ahmad Kundi suggested expanding the cabinet to include members who regularly attend assembly meetings.
In another development, the government issued a new notification after objections were raised to conferring ministerial status on the financial adviser. PPP’s Ahmad Kundi had challenged the earlier notification on constitutional grounds, arguing that a full minister requires proper oath-taking. The Minister of Justice and the Attorney General clarified the matter, and the chairman acknowledged the correction.
The pre-budget discussions reflect growing demands for inclusive, transparent budgeting that prioritizes public needs, infrastructure delivery and economic self-reliance in the face of fiscal constraints. The session emphasized calls for stronger provincial advocacy with the federal government to ensure rightful shares under the NFC price.
