ISLAMABAD(National Times)- PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Thursday that the federal government had promised that allocations for provinces under the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) award would be \u201cprotected\u201d, and that the Centre would not request any further \u201chelp or sacrifice\u201d following the recent decision to freeze development allocations for the provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bilawal joined the budget debate a day after he held a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is reported to have convinced the head of his coalition partner PPP to attend the budget session in the NA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe provinces\u2019 NFC award and financial resources have been kept protected; no damage will be caused to them,\u201d Bilawal declared while addressing the NA, which was debating the proposed federal budget for the next fiscal year (FY27).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBesides this decision, the provincial governments will not be required to make any sacrifices,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government has decided to freeze development allocations<\/a> for the provinces for three years to generate more than Rs900 billion in additional resources for the Centre\u2019s strategic needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Referring to this decision, Bilawal said that the Centre and provinces had decided to jointly bear the burden of \u201cextraordinary needs pertaining to defence and national security\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He affirmed that \u201cwe came up with such a constitutional and democratic solution which meets the national security needs and also minimises complaints from the provinces\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The PPP chairman emphasised that the decision was not taken unconstitutionally but rather under Article 164 of the Constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Constitution enables that if the provinces and the federal government have to spend on a subject which does not fall under their domain, under the article, provinces can give grants to the Centre or the Centre can give grants to the provinces,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb for remaining engaged with PPP representatives and finding a constitutional and democratic solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is not just a financial or administrative [success], but the success of Pakistan\u2019s politics. It is proof that when national interest is at stake, then democratic institutions, political parties, and all parts of the federation can make decisions together,\u201d Bilawal said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He underscored the significance of the consensus reached on the development allocations at a time when \u201cthe India-Israel nexus wants to harm Pakistan in every way, [such as] terrorism and our issues with Afghanistan\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bilawal also welcomed the opposition PTI for \u201ckeeping aside its politics\u201d, noting that the decision was made not just by the parties in the ruling coalition but also by the PTI-ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf PTI and our opposition allies adopted similar politics, where there could be political differences [\u2026] but we work together like this in national interest, then there is no issue that we cannot face,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, during his speech, Bilawal termed such temporary moves as \u201cnon-sustainable solutions\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He called for the federal and provincial governments to chart out a long-term, sustainable plan and introduce \u201cgrowth-oriented economic policies\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Tuesday, the PPP chief warned<\/u><\/a> of the NA session\u2019s boycott if their demands remained unmet. A source said Bilawal appeared upset with the budget, stating that it was different from the document shared with the PPP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During Wednesday\u2019s meeting at the PM House, the premier agreed to address all the PPP concerns regarding the federal budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The PPP chairperson was also initially reluctant to join the NA session where the FY27 budget was presented. It had taken Deputy PM Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to convince him to come to the house so that the budget could be tabled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The PPP chairman also took note of \u201cstrange rumours\u201d circulating before the budget was debated in the parliament, including the abolishment of the 18th Amendment and changes in the NFC award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He further noted that there had been an impression that \u201cthe provinces have fiscal space after the 18th Amendment and the NFC and that the federal government does not\u201d. He stressed that although the Centre may have economic challenges, so do all the provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile it is true that the NFC and 18th Amendment were historic and constitutional achievements, it is also true that despite these, no province has been given its due share,\u201d the Bhutto scion asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bilawal recalled that the petroleum development levy (PDL) had been temporarily introduced to help the country deal with the floods during the previous PPP government. Noting that it was still being collected, he contended that it was in violation of the NFC award and the 18th Amendment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cInstead of distributing the petroleum levy among the Centre and the provinces under the NFC formula, the Centre retains 100 per cent of it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat petroleum levy is being collected till today, and provinces are not getting their due share from petrol and gas levies. They are being deprived of their resources and their rights,\u201d the PPP chairperson asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bilawal went on to decry that provinces also \u201cgave another sacrifice\u201d to prevent the country from economic default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEvery provincial government is asked to show their surplus<\/a> in their provincial budget, and that surplus means that we cannot spend that money on our people,\u201d he said, highlighting that Punjab made the \u201cbiggest sacrifice\u201d in this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn the national economic interest and so we can complete the IMF programme and save the country\u2019s economy, provincial governments and those residing in the provinces are making this sacrifice and giving funds to the Centre,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The PPP chairman remarked that the Sindh government\u2019s Rs400 billion surplus this year could have been utilised for Karachi\u2019s Lyari and Korangi areas or Larkana or Nawabshah if it did not have to be shown as surplus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bilawal went on to observe that KP had its own challenges, noting that despite the merger of the tribal districts, they were not accounted for in the NFC allocations. He asserted that both the provincial and federal governments had \u201cfailed in fulfilling their promises\u201d of development in the tribal areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He termed it unfortunate that the tax exemption for tribal areas, which is set to expire this year, could not be extended in the proposed budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bilawal began his speech by praising the efforts of Pakistan\u2019s leadership, particularly the prime minister and the army chief, in the peace agreement between the United States and Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have experienced the economic impact of uncertain situations. This is why Pakistan always promotes peace,\u201d he said, terming peace \u201cnot just a moral necessity but also economic\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen there is stability in the region, investment increases. When there is peace, the youth get employment, and the country progresses,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cToday, when the world is inching towards peace, Pakistan will have to take a step towards development,\u201d the PPP chairman stressed, adding that he would present his budget speech with the same \u201cspirit\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe truth is that peace has not been restored completely in the region,\u201d the former foreign minister said, before noting security challenges on the border with Afghanistan, the \u201cthreats of Operation Sindoor 2.0\u201d from India and New Delhi\u2019s unilateral contestation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can say with pride that Pakistan has responded to the challenge with political unity and democratic tradition,\u201d he added, referring to the freeze on provincial uplift funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking about the ongoing tense situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Bilawal said the protesters \u201ccannot damage Pakistan or the Kashmir cause, nor would they be allowed to\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He echoed his remarks from Sunday<\/a>, wherein he had cautioned that the unrest was damaging Pakistan\u2019s reputation on the global stage when it was being praised for its mediation efforts<\/a> in the US-Iran war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The PPP head asserted that action was necessary if the state or the people of Pakistan were targeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He urged the individuals protesting in the region to \u201cseparate themselves from those who were adopting extremist politics and taking the law into their hands\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bilawal reiterated that if the violent protesters surrendered, then the possible revocation of the ban on the Joint Awami Action Committee<\/a> (JAAC) could be reviewed with consultations from other stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese issues should be solved in the AJK parliament instead of on the streets,\u201d he emphasised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the \u201ccontroversial\u201d demand of the JAAC to abolish the 12 seats in the region\u2019s legislative assembly reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Bilawal said the JAAC itself had not contested elections either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He acknowledged that it was not objectionable if a region wanted to make decisions about its future itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recalling Pakistan\u2019s stance of Kashmiris having the right to self-determination, Bilawal said, \u201cThis surely is a complication, but we should not cause harm to anyone\u2019s life or property due to this complication.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He called for a debate on the matter, adding, \u201cThese people come and sit in Muzaffarabad, create an uproar, issue threats and think that this is how constitutions are formulated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is not how it happens. We must convince the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC), Muslim League that what the appropriate consensus is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recalling Mehbooba Mufti\u2019s recent remarks<\/a> about people in AJK having peace, Bilawal said, \u201cI want to see Azad Kashmir azad<\/em> [free]. I do not want to see Azad Kashmir like occupied Kashmir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stating his party\u2019s stance on the seats issue, Bilawal said there could be no compromise on the refugees\u2019 representation and their vote. \u201cIf this is not acceptable to anybody else, to hell with that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The PPP chairman called for reaching a consensus where the votes of refugees were not compromised and the \u201cjustified\u201d reservations of the protesters were also catered to. \u201cKashmir will decide about Kashmir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bilawal, whose PPP has been in power in AJK since November<\/a>, affirmed that the AJK government had fulfilled as many demands as it could under a 2025 agreement, adding that a few \u201clong-term\u201d matters were remaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He went on to ask what the justification for the protests was, considering the fulfilment of demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking about the \u201cIndia-Israel nexus\u201d, Bilawal said that Israeli soldiers went on vacations in India-occupied Kashmir, where they and Indian personnel conducted high-altitude training together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo not think that \u2026 after this [US-Iran] memorandum, the India-Israel nexus will get quiet. They are still hatching conspiracies against Pakistan,\u201d he said, stressing the importance of solving political issues without creating faultlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During his address, Bilawal also spoke about his party\u2019s recent win in Gilgit-Baltistan. He thanked the people of GB for their support and hailed the PPP\u2019s ties with the region, saying they span three generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Terming the people of GB the \u201cmost patriotic Pakistanis\u201d, Bilawal recalled the region\u2019s decision to become a part of Pakistan and quipped that they had gotten the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) system<\/a> in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTill when will we keep the people, who secured their independence from Dogra, deprived of their right to sit with me here in this house?\u201d Bilawal asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He questioned when the people of GB would get their constitutional rights, adding that they could not take part in NA discussions and make decisions about their future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The PPP chairman called for a debate in the parliament on the matter by allowing MNAs and senators from the region to participate in the parliamentary discussions on \u201can interim basis\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUntil there is a vote on the plebiscite, I request that this demand of GB\u2019s people should be considered, and PPP will try to carry this struggle forward and develop a consensus on the issue at the national level,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recalling the PPP\u2019s role in getting GB its own legislative assembly and a chief minister-led government, Bilawal reiterated his pledge to get its people rights of governance, resources and employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking on the floor of the NA, Bilawal said the Benazir Income and Support Programme (BISP) had been \u201ctargeted in an unfortunate and shameful manner\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The PPP head thanked the government, especially PM Shehbaz, for deciding to expand BISP in the FY27 budget \u201cdespite the remarks made against it\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Presenting four arguments in support of the PPP-launched programme, Bilawal highlighted that its success in supporting the lower-income groups had been acknowledged by international bodies such as the World Bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said that global platforms instead recommended expanding the programme to tackle poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe second argument is that it is both humanity and Islam,\u201d Bilawal said in defence of the BISP, adding that religious teachings advocate taking care of those in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The third point he made was that BISP was a \u201cgood economy\u201d, asserting that development takes place from the lower slabs to the upper instead of trickling down from the affluent to the masses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen one poor household gets BISP funds, [\u2026], they buy flour, medicine, books for the kids,\u201d he said, highlighting that it creates more income opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lastly, Bilawal argued that BISP was also a \u201cnational security programme\u201d as insurgencies of any kind, even foreign-backed, \u201ccannot be fought with weapons alone\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you have to fight insurgency, militancy, extremism and terrorism, you have to win hearts and minds,\u201d he emphasised, saying the assistance in the form of BISP wins people\u2019s hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMost importantly, this is a programme of a stronger relation between Pakistan and its people,\u201d the Bhutto scion declared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He called on the government and those making economic decisions to adopt the mindset that the country\u2019s economy will not progress until the downtrodden factions of society do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur policies should be such that we focus on growth and progress in underdeveloped areas,\u201d he said, advocating for a growth-oriented approach so that Pakistan has to rely less on loans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ISLAMABAD(National Times)- PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Thursday that the federal government had promised that allocations for provinces under the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) award would be \u201cprotected\u201d, and that the Centre would not request any further \u201chelp or sacrifice\u201d following the recent decision to freeze development allocations for the provinces. Bilawal joined […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":127850,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/a>\u2018No province given its due share\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\u2018I want to see Azad Kashmir azad<\/em>\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Parliament participation for GB<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\u2018BISP also a national security programme\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n