KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Imran Khan, raising reservations over the formation of 10th National Finance Commission (NFC) aimed at announcing a new award for sharing of federal divisible resources between the Centre and the provinces, ARY NEWS reported.
In his letter, the chief minister pointed out that rules do not allow to appoint adviser on finance as the member or head of the commission. “Only finance minister is authorized to lead the commission,” he said.
He further said that although it is prerogative of the president to constitute the NFC but objected over the appointment of the provincial representatives in the commission.
“The president approves appointment of the provincial representatives after consultation with the respective governor and chief minister,” he said in his letter to Imran Khan.
He said that since the Centre would bear the expenses of the Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan areas, they should increase the financial share of these areas.
It is pertinent to mention here that President Dr Arif Alvi constituted the 10th National Finance Commission (NFC) to ensure just distribution of resources between the Centre and the four federating units on May 12.
The president has constituted the NFC under Article 160(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The NFC Award is a constitutional obligation. It is clearly indicated in the Article 160 of the “Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973” that it has been made mandatory for the government to compose NFC Award at an interval extending not more than five years for the amicable resource distribution among the federation and its respective units.
The Finance Division has notified the new 10-member Commission. Finance Advisor Hafeez Sheikh will be the chairman of NFC which will comprise the four provincial finance ministers.
