Confusing laws: 18th Amendment still confuses lawmakers: Khuhro

CPNE holds three-day course on decentralised development governance

KARACHI: The problems that used to surface on the floor of the assembly in 2010 continue to surface now, nearly four years later, said Sindh education minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro.

Khuhro made this bold admission as the chief guest on the first day of a three-day media training, titled Decentralised Development Governance Programme, organised by the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) on Monday.

The confusions and uncertainty about the 18th Amendment are present in the minds of even the parliamentarians, said Khuhro, adding that it is natural that ordinary citizens are unable to understand this amendment to the Constitution that empowered provinces. "It took us more than 27 years after 1983 to get provincial autonomy for Sindh," he added.



According to Khuhro, media is the trendsetter these days. Addressing the gathering that comprised mostly of journalists, he said that it is the media's job to promote the importance of education in the province and draw attention to aspects that people are unaware of.

The conference aims to focus on the difficulties that a media person faces after the 18th Amendment, and the roles they can play in providing authentic information to their viewers and readers, explained Dr Jabbar Khattak, CPNE's secretary general.

"Like everyone else, the media is also unaware of the many changes that the 18th Amendment brings," pointed out Zaigham Khan, a resource person with the United Nations Development Programme.



During a detailed presentation, Khan said that sustainable development lacks in all areas, such as water and environment management. "We are not providing a better future to our children," he said. "The media informs us about the CNG strike but it never showed the millions who are using earthen stoves," Khan added.

On the drought situation of Thar and the role of the Sindh government, senior minister Khuhro spoke about the population of the desert area. There are around 1.5 million people who live in Thar but they have only 6.7 million livestock with them, he said.

"It is very difficult for us to evacuate the people of Thar to any other area in times of drought or any other disaster," he claimed.

In the end, Khuhro said that development in every sector is important. "But I feel, initially, we need only two things: roads and infrastructure, and electricity for all," he said, listing his solution to the urban crisis.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2014.