Devolution process to be completed by June 2011: Raza Rabbani calls on chief minister Sindh

The federal government has asked the floods-hit provinces to get ready for shouldering new responsibilities under the provincial autonomy-based post-18th Constitutional Amendment regime. Also, Islamabad tends to manage the post-18th Amendment affairs through a 'strong' Council of Common Interests (CCI) which in its recent meeting had set June 30, 2011 as a deadline for the implementation of the devolution plan.
"Subjects on the Concurrent List would be transferred from the federation to the provinces by June 30, 2011," this was stated by Chairman Implementation Commission Senator Mian Raza Rabbani who called on Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah here on Saturday. The two leaders resolved to execute the historic 18th Amendment in letter and spirit within its scheduled constitutional timeframe.
The devastating floods and its destruction also came under discussion during the meeting. The chief minister was told that as per the decisions of the CCI the devolution process would be completed in different phases. Rabbani also briefed the chief minister on the working of Implementation Commission with regard to 18th Amendment.
The chief minister was told that despite floods' devastation the provinces should prepare a well-thought-out strategy to effectively deal with the post-18th Amendment scenario when many of the federal departments would be coming under their control. The two PPP leaders observed that the Amendment was democratic in nature and was the ownership of all elected political forces that had approved the same in Parliament.
Also, it was observed that the historic changes guaranteed the long-demanded provincial autonomy with the center and provinces having a co-ownership of the country's natural resources. And a stronger CCI would be the main institution to manage the joint issues after the implementation of Amendment.