18th Amendment: Committee for implementation formed

The Sindh government has formed a committee that will be accountable to oversee the implementation of the 18th Amendment.

KARACHI: The Sindh government has formed a provincial implementation committee that will be accountable to the federal commission formed to oversee the implementation of the 18th Amendment.

The chairman of this committee will be the chief secretary while the secretary to interprovincial coordination department will be its secretary. Secretary law department, secretary finance, secretary implementation and coordination, services department secretary and others will be among its members. According to the notification, the provincial implementation committee may co-opt experts of retired members of civil service or any other person for a specified purpose and time on such terms and conditions as the committee may deem fit. Further the provincial implementation committee will have the power to pass orders on regulations, enactments, notifications and rules in order to ensure that the devolution process in implemented smoothly.

The committee is a provincial panel representing the federal implementation committee that is presently headed by Senator Raza Rabbani. The terms of references of the committee include all functions needed for the 18th Amendment to be implemented completely.

It will examine the policy, programmes, capacity building and other measures taken by the provincial government or the district governments for the implementation of the devolution process. It will also review all laws and regulations being affected as a consequence of this transition and recommend amendments. The aim of the committee is to ensure that the process of devolution is completed by June 30, 2011.