18th Amendment commission: ‘Devolution to be completed by month’s end’

Raza Rabbani says discussions under way on the devolution of the remaining ministries.

ISLAMABAD:

Chairman of the Implementation Commission on 18th Amendment Mian Raza Rabbani reiterated the resolve to complete the devolution of ministries to the provinces by June 30, in a meeting on Saturday.

Senator Rabbani said 10 portfolios have already been transferred to the provinces while discussions on the devolution of the remaining ministries are under way.  The chairman revealed that the federal government has allocated funds for departments of the devolved ministries which come under its purview. Commission members discussed issues related to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Minfa) and the Ministry of Minorities Affairs. Wasim Sajjad of the PML-Q, newly appointed to the commission, demanded that the devolution process of ministries directly related to the federation should be halted and not carried out in haste, according to sources. The move, however, was opposed by members of ANP and Baloch nationalist parties who said a delay in the transfer of ministries would be in violation of the Constitution.

Sajjad contended that the Health ministry and Minfa should not be completely entrusted to the provinces. He said his party was now the government’s coalition partner, therefore, the prime minister had given his party representation in the commission to voice its point of view.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had appointed the PML-Q senator as member of the commission after Senator Ishaq Dar of the PML-N tendered his resignation. Dar had resigned as deputy chairman of the commission after his party contested the devolution of the Higher Education Commission and opposed other decisions taken by the government.

Rabbani was of the view that Dar was still a member of the commission since his resignation had not been accepted by the PM before the appointment.

The chairman wrote to the prime minster and drew his attention to the fact that parliament was working on legislation related to subjects which had been devolved. He had termed the act as a violation of constitutional clauses dealing with provincial autonomy.

Commission members have decided to hold the next round of meeting on Monday and Tuesday.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2011.