The cost of governing

Summary

• Also important are the money rights KP gets from the constitution, under the NFC Award.
• With Rs1.468tr coming from the government the parliament needs to make sure the money is given in a regular way used clearly and that the reforms continue.
• The constitution should not be used as a reason to take away the power of the province or to make the financial rules less strict.

AI Generated Summary

A province can survive a change of government. But can its reforms survive the suspension of elected government itself? That is the question facing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the imposing of governor’s rule and emergency on October 11. The debate should not be a fight between Islamabad and KP Government. What is at stake is whether a special constitutional action will keep the institutions, services and financial promises safe for millions of people. However, Article 234 was made for when the constitution fails, not for disagreements about policies or political parties.

It is tempting to treat governor’s rule as a short interruption before politics resumes. Public policy, however, does not operate on such a convenient clock. Hospitals enter contracts, teachers are recruited, road schemes move through procurement, and social protection programmes build expectations among beneficiaries. Even a temporary change in who approves expenditure or appoints officials can interrupt those processes. A project paused for a few months may lose a construction season; a hospital payment delayed can immediately affect patients.