RECORDER REPORT

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party President Asfandyar Wali Khan Saturday rejected 10th National Finance Commission (NFC), saying that the inclusion of unrelated and non-local is tantamount to compromise on provincial autonomy and right. He demanded of the government to reconstitute the commission.

In a statement, he said that a resident of Punjab neither becomes a representative of Pakhtuns nor can he fight for the rights of our province.

The ANP lamented that the present government has made joke of every matter. He said that dealing with serious constitutional and legal matters in such a manner is tantamount to the contempt of both parliament and the law. He said that making unconcerned persons as members of the NFC is the height of incompetence.

He said that a resident of Mandi Bahauddin has no concern for the rights of Pakhtuns while a resident of Karachi has no knowledge of a particular area. He said the government had found no one from KP and Balochistan to represent these provinces on the NFC. He said that they respect every person but selection of persons to talk about our rights is in fact tantamount to the appeasement of someone else.

The veteran politician said that the inclusion of Advisor on Finance and Secretary Finance on the NFC as unconstitutional and illegal and violation of the Article 160 of the Constitution of Pakistan. He said that unfortunately such rulers have come into power in three provinces that have no concern for the rights of their people. However, he said that ANP will fight for the rights of the small provinces on every front.