Experts call for implementing 18th Amendment in true spirit. PHOTO: ONLINE
ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a seminar concluded that federal and provincial governments were equally responsible for non-implementation of 18th Constitutional Amendment in true spirit.
While criticising the federal government for encroaching provincial domains, they said provincial governments did not bother to do the necessary legislation or adopt mechanisms to reap the fruits of the devolution.
The event titled ‘Conflict Resolution through Democratic Devolution and Constitutionalism in Pakistan’ was organised by Centre for Civic Education (CCE), on Thursday. It was addressed by representatives of provincial and federal governments and political parties.
Presenting the results of a study on ‘Constitution and Conflict Resolution in Pakistan,’ Zafarullah Khan of CCE said that despite available constitutional mechanisms, federal and provincial governments had not appropriately availed the opportunity to extract benefits of the 18th Amendment.
“Provinces have also not enforced the power to plead their cases at constitutional forums of Council of Common Interest (CCI), National Economic Council and National Finance Commission (NFC),” he said.
Senate Functional Committee on Devolution Chairman Senator Hasil Bizenjo said traditional processes of approval and allocation of development funds through the Planning Commission (PC) and other forums were flawed and needed an overhaul.
He was of the view that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources and organisations like Pakistan Petroleum Limited and Oil and Gas Development Company Limited had turned into white elephants and undermined constitutional supremacy of provinces and parliament.
He recommended abolishing petroleum ministry including office of Director General of Petroleum Concessions at the centre and called for establishment of a ‘Petroleum Concession Commission’ with equal provincial presentation. It was also urged that the PC should be federalised in true spirits, ensuring provincial representation.
NFC Balochistan Member Dr Kaiser Bengali was of the view that at one hand provinces have improperly utilised resources, provided under the commission, while federal government is busy in implementing IMF conditions at the other, which undermines constitutional supremacy.
He said the constitution had a great power to strengthen federation but government in centre imposes its interpretation in its own benefit.
NFC Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Member Senator Prof Ibrahim said there were grim hopes to award 9th NFC, as Punjab had not nominated its member for the forum, which has halted the whole process of working committee.
Senate Standing Committee on Interprovincial Coordination Chairman Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmed said federal government has retained all profitable businesses and ministries and devolved ineffective and non-beneficial departments.
Former PC chief economist Dr Pervez Tahir said the federal government was intruding provincial domains by announcing agriculture packages and fixing prices of related commodities, which itself was an utter violation of the constitution.
Dr Qazi Mujataba Kamal of Inter Provincial Coordination Committee (IPCC) admitted that there has been unnecessary delay in holding CCI and IPCC meetings. “The government has indicated holding regular CCI meetings from now onwards,” he assured.
Dr Ishaq Baloch, coordinator of Chief Minister’s Policy Reform Unit Balochistan said that despite passage of 18th amendment, encroachment continues in shape of existing health, education and agriculture ministries.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2015.
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