KP BUDGET 2026-27 : No funds for Centre sans Imran meeting, says Afridi

• CM unveils Rs2.17tr budget, says only PTI founder can authorise payments to federal govt• Claims funds for former tribal areas not released in full• No new taxes; salaries and pensions raised by 7pc• Property tax exemption for properties up to 5 marlas

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Friday said the provincial government will not give any grant to the federal government, as he presented a Rs2.17 trillion budget for fiscal year 2026-27, carrying a projected deficit of Rs48bn.

Addressing the KP Assem­bly’s budget session, chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, the chief minister said any decision on providing additional funds to the federal government would be made by PTI founder Imran Khan.

“We had made it clear during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting that the decision regarding provision of additional funds to the federal government will be made by PTI founder Imran Khan — the last authority to approve it,” the chief minister told the house.

He said that during the NEC meeting, he had pointed out that while all other political parties had been allowed meetings with their party heads, the KP government continued to be refused meetings with its leader. He said Mr Khan was being kept in isolation and solitary confinement, with all meetings —including with his wife, Bushra Bibi, and other family members — banned.

The PTI leadership, he said, had demanded restoration of Mr Khan’s meetings with his family and lawyers, access to party leadership, and a weekly telephone call with his sons. “We will not sign any draft until we meet Mr Khan,” the chief minister warned.

On the National Finance Commission (NFC) award, Mr Afridi said the prime minister had hinted at completing the process within the next six months. However, he said that if the NFC award was not announced within that period, the share of the merged areas would be included in KP’s share under the 7th NFC Award.

He added that no progress had been made so far on the 11th NFC, which was aggravating the grievances of the merged areas.

On the deficit, the chief minister said the province would........

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