KP calls pen-down strike over ‘discrimination’ in NFC, energy allocations

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced a province-wide pen-down strike on Wednesday (May 6) against what it called “deliberate discrimination” in federal resource distribution, including the National Finance Commission (NFC) award and allocations of electricity and gas.

In an official statement, the provincial government said the strike was aimed at highlighting grievances over what it described as unfair treatment by the federal government in financial and administrative matters.

Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said the province was being “economically pressured” and sidelined, particularly in decisions related to the NFC award and energy payments.

“The federal government is treating Khyber Pakhtunkhwa unfairly in several important matters,” Afridi said, announcing the protest call.

He said that since Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is governed by Pakistan’s most popular leader, Imran Khan, the province is being subjected to discrimination by the federal government.

He alleged that deliberate discrimination is being carried out against the province in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award, as well as in electricity and gas allocations.

Afridi said a province-wide pen-down strike will be observed on May 6, while emergency services will remain exempt.

He further said that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are not being provided medical treatment under the supervision of their personal physicians.

Afridi said denying Imran Khan permission to meet his family and lawyers is inhumane and illegal.

The chief minister appealed to lawyers who uphold the constitution and law to participate in the strike.

The statement said government employees across the province would observe a pen-down strike by suspending routine official work, while emergency and essential services would remain functional.

Afridi also urged lawyers and civil society members to join the protest, appealing to those committed to constitutional and legal principles to participate.

The announcement is expected to heighten tensions between Islamabad and the provincial government, which have repeatedly clashed over fiscal transfers, resource sharing and administrative authority.

No immediate response was issued by the federal government regarding the allegations or the planned strike.

Long-running NFC dispute

The protest comes amid an ongoing dispute over the National Finance Commission formula, which determines the distribution of federal revenues among Pakistan’s provinces.

The National Finance Commission has been working on a new award, with provinces divided over claims linked to the merger of former tribal districts into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018.

The KP government argues it is entitled to a higher share of federal resources following the merger of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), which added an estimated 6.1 million people to the province’s population.

It has demanded an increase in its NFC share and arrears of nearly 980 billion rupees since 2018 through an interim arrangement.

Other provinces, including Punjab and Sindh, have resisted retrospective changes, arguing that constitutional allocations cannot be altered without consensus.

Sindh’s representative has said the province will not support any interim award, while Punjab has maintained that the NFC does not have a mandate to issue such adjustments.

The federal government has said it is open to addressing legitimate concerns, but insists that a consensus-based approach is required.

The dispute has also extended to issues such as net hydel profit payments and funding for internally displaced persons, with KP claiming it receives less than its due share compared to other provinces.

Officials say negotiations are ongoing, but no agreement has yet been reached.