National Party Rejects Any Move to Roll Back 18th Amendment or Cut NFC Award Share

Quetta (Kudrat Daily) — The central spokesperson of the National Party has categorically rejected any proposal aimed at rolling back the 18th Constitutional Amendment, reducing the share of provinces in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, or redrawing provincial boundaries.

In a statement, the spokesperson said that Pakistan’s provinces are not merely administrative units but represent historical, cultural, and national identities. Therefore, any decision regarding their future must take into account public opinion and historical realities.

The spokesperson stated that if there is any discussion regarding the reorganization or division of national units, it should be based on historical grounds rather than political considerations. Areas that were separated from their original national units due to colonial policies and artificial administrative divisions should be reunited with their historical regions.

The statement described the 18th Constitutional Amendment as a significant constitutional achievement that ensured a fair distribution of powers between the federation and the provinces, strengthened provincial autonomy, and reinforced parliamentary democracy. Through the amendment, authority over key sectors such as resources, education, health, culture, and other important fields was devolved from the federal government to the provinces.

The National Party warned that any attempt to weaken the amendment or reclaim devolved powers would be against the spirit of the Constitution and would undermine the rights of smaller federating units.

The spokesperson further stated that reducing the provincial share in the NFC Award would amount to an unfair distribution of resources, worsening existing economic and administrative challenges faced by the provinces.

Reaffirming the party’s stance, the spokesperson said that the National Party believes a strong federation depends on the protection of the constitutional, political, and economic rights of the provinces and pledged to continue its democratic and constitutional struggle for those rights.