KARACHI: Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal expres­sed concern on Monday over the current formula for distribution of divisible pool resources under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award, arguing that it places an undue burden on the federal government.

He urged the provinces to develop a consensus to help ease the fiscal strain on Islamabad.

Speaking to reporters at the Karachi Press Club, he said the federal government was unable to invest in key development projects because a significant portion of development funds was being consumed by the provinces. After transferring provincial shares, the Centre is not left with enough funds to invest in projects critical to the country’s water and food security.

“The federal government bears around Rs716 billion in expenses on behalf of the provinces,” Mr Iqbal said. “This significantly shrinks our fiscal space. Right now, we are facing a major challenge — projects like Diamer Bhasha Dam and Mohmand Dam, which are vital to our water security, cannot be completed swiftly due to insufficient development funds.”

The minister called upon........

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