PM Shehbaz questions KP’s failure to establish CTD despite receiving Rs590bn

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Friday questioned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government for its failure to establish the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) despite receiving funds worth Rs590 billion during the last 14 years.

Responding to a point of order raised by Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) lawmaker Asad Qaiser, the prime minister highlighted that under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, an additional one percent share was allocated for the KP province just to augment its efforts against terrorism.

He said the last NFC Award was agreed upon in 2010 by the government of Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani when terrorism was at its peak and the KP province suffered the most, followed by Balochistan and other provinces.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said that KP people had been the frontline soldiers against terrorism which would always be remembered.

He said the additional one percent share for KP in NFC was still intact and no other province including Balochistan got such funds nor objected to it despite immense sacrifices by their law enforcement agencies and people against terrorism.

He told the House that from 2010 till now, the KP province had received Rs590 billion but could not yet establish the CTD for which the funds were mainly allocated.

This also needs to be looked into as why the CTD is still incomplete there despite getting such huge funds, he remarked.

Coming to another objection by the opposition member, the prime minister told the House that the federal government had forwarded a panel of three persons, as per tradition, asking the KP government to choose one officer for appointment as Chief Secretary which they have not decided so far.

He also offered to revise the panel if the provincial government desired so but rubbished the allegation of any discrimination against the province.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, especially in KP and Balochistan, since the outlawed militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.