KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto has rejected the federal budget and criticised it, saying it had been designed to break the federation, even calling it unconstitutional. Bilawal Bhutto said that the budget had neglected the smaller provinces and was designed to benefit ‘Punjabistan’ only. The National Assembly continued the general discussion on the Budget 2016-17 on Tuesday during the fourth sitting of the 33rd session, says the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). It is also learnt that seven NFC awards have been announced since 1973. National Finance Commission (NFC), responsible for the finance award for transferring revenue to federating units a conclusive first NFC Award in 1974, was presented by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Similarly, the second and third inconclusive NFC Award in 1979 and 1985 was presented by Zia-ul-Haq government, whereas the fourth conclusive NFC Award in 1991 was presented by Nawaz Sharif. In 1995, the government of Benazir Bhutto announced an inconclusive fifth award and Mian Nawaz Sharif announced this conclusive NFC Award in 1997. The sixth inconclusive NFC award in 2002 was presented by the Pervez Musharaf government and the last conclusive NFC award by Yousaf Raza Gillani in 2010, Daily Times learnt. All four provinces unanimously agreed on multiple criteria, based on population, development, geographic size, and revenue collection and generation. The variation is mainly attributable to shortfall in federal transfers, provincial tax and non-tax revenues, and federal developmental grants.