Greater responsibility on provinces after devolution: Rabbani

KARACHI: The provinces have been given a great responsibility of enhancing their capacity, effectiveness and transparency of governance after the devolution of 17 ministries and their attached departments to them.

This was stated by Chairman Implementation Committee for 18th Amendment Mian Raza Rabbani on Thursday while addressing a press conference at Chief Minister House on the completion of third phase of devolution.

Advisor to CM Rashid Rabbani, Abu Bhai and Special Assistant to CM Waqar Mehdi were also present on the occasion.

"We have done our job and now the provinces have to protect the devolution and their autonomy. They need to further this process, enhance their capacity, improve governance and make them more effective", he added.

Rabbani said that the provinces need to pass on the benefits of devolution to their people so that the objective of the devolution is achieved.

He thanked President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and heads of all political parties for extending unconditional support to him, the committee and his team. "I specifically wanted to mention the role of Baloch legislators in this regard".

"Without their support, it could not have been possible to accomplish this landmark achievement. This is a historic day and I want to congratulate the nation on this auspicious day that the long cherished dream of provincial autonomy has been realised", he added.

Rabbani said that the foundation of idea was laid by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1973 Constitution. His daughter Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto waged a long struggle and made it a point to remove concurrent list under the Charter of Democracy signed between PPP and PML (N).

This is a paradigm shift and has been emerged with the help of vision of PPP leaders. Instead of stronger Islamabad, the provinces have been made stronger and independent for a strong Federation, he noted.

He admitted that it was a difficult journey which was made possible because of unanimity of thoughts. The vested interests had tried their best to create resistance in the way, but the focussed approach ensured the completion and implementation of this task with the support of the Parliament.

Responding to a question, Rabbani said that he has suggested the Prime Minister to create a Cabinet Committee to address teething problems arising out of the devolution.

He said the devolution is in its infancy and will have challenges ahead. But the Constitution provides the complete framework for addressing challenges and find answers to democratic issues, he added.

"This cannot be an ideal move, but it is an important footprint on which we have to build up our entire provincial autonomy structure. The differences can be resolved through political dialogue, the spirit of reconciliation and an important forum of Council of Common Interest (CCI)," he added.

"I, therefore, appeal all the political forces not to make this day as the day of dissent, because political workers have embraced martyrdom, faced lashes and spent their lives in jails for the cause of provincial autonomy".

"I offer a 'red salute' to all those political workers on the realization of their cherished dream", Rabbani said.

He urged the political forces to opportunity a path of political dialogue, amendment through Parliament and seek their rights through Constitutional way instead of confrontation.

Replying to a question about EOBI and Workers Welfare Fund, he said that this issue is complex and would be resolve through joint efforts under CCI forum.

He said that JPMC has been shifted to Sindh government while the status of Sheikh Zayed Hospital is yet to be decided.

Pakistan Sports Board is an autonomous body and will continue to work under the existing system.

Similarly, Drug Regulatory Authority is a new body which will work in coordination with the provinces, having their representatives on the board for a uniform quality and prices of drugs all over the country.

Referring to the status of employees of devolved ministries, he said that hardly 300 to 350, out of more than 37,300 employees will be in surplus pool if any after the completion of 3rd phase.

The employees of autonomous bodies, civil servants, project staff will be shifted alongwith their organisations and departments. Nobody will be retrenched in the name of devolution, he maintained.

He said that Islamabad based employees of devolved ministries have problems of dislocation as their children are studying and they do not want to shift from their to provinces.

They have been adjusted and remaining will be adjusted in Federal Capital Authority.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011