The crucial consultative meeting of the Eleventh National Finance Commission (NFC), vital for determining the financial distribution between the federation and the provinces, has been postponed yet again. The meeting, which was scheduled for November 18th, was intended to begin consultations on the future financial formula.
Sources within the Ministry of Finance confirmed that all four provinces have been notified about the postponement of the November 18th meeting. However, provincial sources expressed concern, stating that no official reason was provided for the cancellation. Ministry of Finance sources suggested that the postponement followed a lack of response from the Prime Minister House, where approval had been sought to convene the meeting after consultation with the provinces.
Constitutional Context and Repeated Delays
The backdrop to this delay involves significant constitutional debate. Sources from the Ministry of Law indicated that the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment initially proposed removing the constitutional protection that prevents the reduction of the provinces’ financial share. Following strong opposition, particularly from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the NFC-related clause was ultimately removed from the amendment.
This meeting has faced repeated delays; previous dates were suggested for August 29th and November 10th, with the August session being postponed due to rainfall. The continued suspension of the NFC dialogue heightens financial uncertainty concerning federal-provincial resource sharing in the country.
