AWKUM Hosts a Seminar on NFC and the Rightful Share of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Merged Areas and the Path to Progress

 

On Monday, December 1, 2025, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan hosted a Seminar on NFC and the Rightful Share of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Merged Areas and the Path to Progress at IBL-Hall, Garden Campus. Dr. Aamir Raza, from the Department of Political Science at the University of Peshawar, was the guest speaker. AWKUM’s three campuses, including Main, Timergara, and Pabbi, along with two blocks in the Garden Campus, were virtually connected. Affiliated colleges from across the entire Mardan Division, along with colleges in District Nowshera, were also linked.

University Advancement & Career Development Center (UA&CDC) and Institute of Business and Leadership (IBL) of AWKUM facilitated the event. Dr. Muhammad Bilal, Director UA&CDC, moderated the seminar. He introduced the guest speaker and chief guest, and briefed the audience on the other halls on AWKUM’s campuses and affiliated colleges, which were virtually connected to the event. 

Professor Dr. Jamil Ahmad, Vice Chancellor of AWKUM, delivered the opening remarks as the chief guest of the seminar. The vice chancellor stressed that if KP receives its rightful share through the NFC, it will strengthen higher education in the province. The Vice Chancellor also indicated that the merged districts of ex-FATA into KP are the ultimate sufferers, and that this situation could be improved if they receive the promised budget from the federal government. He further added that the merged districts of KP can be developed if education is strengthened across the merged areas.

Dr. Aamir Raza, the guest speaker, thoroughly discussed what NFC is and why it was formed. He explained the revenue sources of the federal government, such as income tax, customs duty, federal excise, sales tax, etc., and how the collected funds are supposed to be equally distributed among the provinces through a rationalized formula based on population. Dr. Aamir Raza discussed the federal government's vertical and horizontal division of funds among the provinces. The speaker, Dr. Aamir Raza, explained the NFC system, highlighting that the 7th NFC Award (2010) allocated 43% of resources to the federal government and 57% to provinces. He emphasized the need for a new NFC Award, citing the transfer of 15-18 departments to provinces after the 18th Amendment. He further discussed the issue of merged districts (ex-FATA) that K-P has not received its rightful share despite having a population of six million. The federal government had promised Rs 100 billion annually for development, but this promise has not been fulfilled. Dr. Raza warned that a lack of resources would hinder development, leading to extremism, poor law and order, and inadequate education and healthcare. He urged students to be informed citizens and participate in national discourse.

Dr. Syed Rashid Ali, Associate Professor of Sociology, concluded the session by remarking that the guest speaker educated the audience in straightforward language about NFC and its functions. He added that these kinds of events are essential for students of social sciences, primarily to raise awareness about the financial management of resources on an equal basis between the federal government of Pakistan and all provincial governments.