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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has urged the federal government to refrain from imposing taxes on the former FATA and PATA regions, arguing that the financial condition of their residents does not permit them to bear such a burden.
He also demanded the immediate release of funds for displaced people from the newly merged districts.
Addressing a tribal jirga in Peshawar, Gandapur congratulated the nation for its united response to enemy aggression, saying that all political differences were set aside in the interest of national defense and sovereignty.
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The chief minister emphasized that the people of the merged districts have made countless sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and deserve significant investment. “The tribal regions have suffered deeply and need economic uplift, not taxation,” he added.
He urged the federal government to fulfill all promises made to the tribal people, including the swift release of funds for internally displaced persons and the immediate transfer of the merged districts' share from the National Finance Commission (NFC) award to the province. “We are not asking for someone else’s share—just what rightfully belongs to us,” he stated.
Gandapur also called for payment of all outstanding federal dues to KP, including the net hydel profit and the province’s full share of the tobacco cess.
Additionally, he demanded the revival of the traditional jirga system for sustainable conflict resolution in the merged areas and insisted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must be included in any dialogue process with Afghanistan, stating that no talks can be complete without the province’s involvement.
