Kamran Bangash says the letter written by Taimur Jhagra was thoroughly constitutional. File photo


Kamran Bangash says the letter written by Taimur Jhagra was thoroughly constitutional. File photo
  • KP’s higher education minister Kamran Bangash says Taimur Jhagra’s letter was in harmony with the Constitution.
  • Says the Centre cannot demand a surplus budget from a province. 
  • Demands the Centre abolish biased treatment of the KP. 

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government came out in support of the letter of provincial finance minister Taimur Jhagra.

Provincial Minister for higher education Kamran Bangash said that Jhagra’s letter was in complete harmony with the Constitution. Under the Constitution, the Centre cannot force a province to give a surplus budget, he said.

Bangash said that the KP government had informed the federal government of its conditions before and after the MoU. He said the telephonic conversation was presented out of context after it was illegally recorded.

The KP minister also asked the Centre to give the KP its share of the money given by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The federal government should abolish its prejudice against the KP after receiving the IMF package.

Asad Umar weighs in for Taimur Jhagra

Earlier on August 27, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar defended Taimur Jhagra, who is under fire for backing out of a key International Monetary Fund (IMF) requirement. Asad Umar said the minister “asked for KP’s right” and no one should “suppress his voice”.

“Taimur Jhagra is demanding the right of the province, don’t you dare try to suppress his voice,” Umar said.

He claimed that the government is “attempting to pin the blame for its own failures” on Jhagra.

The PTI leader said that the federal government is “incompetent” because “no agreement with the IMF has been reached in four and a half months”.

Umar said that Miftah Ismail blames PTI for being unable to reach an IMF deal, while Nawaz Sharif has “testified to his incompetence”.

What Taimur Jhagra had said?

Jhagra wrote to Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail saying it will be “next to impossible” for the province to run a surplus this fiscal year. He asked for the government to resolve outstanding issues such as budget allocations for the former federally administered tribal area (FATA), monthly transfers of net hydel profits in accordance with agreed terms, and revival of the National Finance Commission award, among others.

Jhagra stated in his letter that KP expressed its support within 24 hours and that the provincial government is ready to assist the federal government, but the federal government has not met with the provincial government in two months.

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