Islamabad – The proposed consultative meeting of the National Finance Commission (NFC), which was scheduled to be held on November 18, has once again been postponed, according to reliable sources in the Ministry of Finance. The repeated delays in holding the NFC meeting have raised concerns among the provinces, which have been awaiting discussions on critical fiscal and resource distribution issues.

Sources within the Finance Ministry confirmed that all four provincial governments have been informed about the postponement. However, no official reason has been provided for deferring the much-anticipated meeting. The decision to postpone has once again delayed progress on reviewing the country’s inter-provincial financial arrangements and the formula for distribution of national resources.

Earlier, the Federal Ministry of Finance, after consulting with the provinces, had requested formal approval from the Prime Minister’s Office to convene the NFC meeting on November 18. The Ministry was awaiting confirmation from the Prime Minister’s House to proceed with the official schedule. However, the lack of response from the Prime Minister’s Office led the Ministry to inform provincial governments that the meeting would not take place as planned.

The NFC, which is constitutionally responsible for determining the distribution of financial resources between the federation and the provinces, has not held a full-fledged meeting for several months. The delay has hindered discussions on critical fiscal issues, including provincial shares, revenue allocation, and federal transfers. The postponement has also caused frustration among provincial authorities, who view the NFC as an essential platform for ensuring fair and transparent financial relations between the center and the provinces.

According to sources, the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which was recently under discussion, contained a controversial proposal regarding the NFC Award. The proposed amendment sought to remove the constitutional protection that prevents the reduction of provincial shares in national financial resources. This proposal met strong resistance from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and some other political groups, who argued that it undermined the spirit of provincial autonomy guaranteed under the 18th Amendment.