Devolution of powers: Stronger local govt system needed for a better Pakistan, suggest experts

18th Constitutional Amendment was a vital step in moving power closer to the people of Pakistan.

KARACHI:

If Pakistan reinstitutionalised its local government system and made it stronger by devolving powers, then the demand for new provinces would lose its importance. This was a suggestion tabled by political and economic experts at a workshop on consolidating democratic devolution on Sunday at the Pearl Continental Hotel. The workshop was organised by the Forum of Federations, a Canada-based global network on federalism, multi-level governance and devolution.

These experts claimed that for more positive results, the country would also have to establish institutions like the National Finance Corporation in all four provinces to divide revenue shares among districts.

The forum's programme manager, Phillip Gonzalez, kicked off the workshop by informing the participants about their organisation and its nine global partner countries, including Pakistan. "Our mission is building democracy through sharing experiences in federalism and decentralisation," he said.

According to Gonzalez, the 18th Constitutional Amendment and the devolution of power that it embodied was a vital step in moving power closer to the people of Pakistan.

Prof Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed of Karachi University gave a presentation on Intergovernmental Relations in Pakistan and said that after the 18th Amendment, new powers were given to the provinces and this was a big challenge for them. He added that the provinces had to deliver services to the public and meet their expectations. The success of the amendment is dependent on the successful working of the institutional mechanism associated with it, "the fate of Pakistan is dependent on the working of the Council of Common Interest-the federal institution which makes and implement policies."

Jaffar proposed that institutions like the National Finance Corporation should be set up at the provincial level for the distribution of revenue.

Dr Leslie Seidle, a senior policy advisor at the Forum of Federations, said that the political class had to take the decision to force the bureaucracy for the devolution of powers.

"Pakistan has good laws but what it needs is the political class to decide that they want to change the unfair practices and implement the laws," he said. "Federations are constantly evaluating and a work in progress. Disagreements are not bad as they are the essence of the federal countries."

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2014.