ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel said on Monday that if the government was serious about addressing the grievances faced by the provinces, the Centre must not interfere with devolved subjects under the 18th constitutional amendment.

A meeting of the Senate functional committee on devolution, which met here with Senator Taj Haider Khan, maintained that the need of the hour was that all the federating units must be united to protect 18th amendment which ensured financial autonomy to the provinces.

The Committee brainstormed ideas on how to ensure that subjects under the 18th Constitutional Amendment are devolved completely.

It asserted that it was essential that members went beyond party lines to ensure that the country was driven on the right path, adding, the provincial and federal governments must work together to ensure the country’s progress.

“The confrontation must be changed into meaningful consultation,” it said, adding in order to bridge the trust gap between federating units, student exchange programme between the provincial educational institutions should be started.

Besides, the committee also recommended to form a holistic view of the devolved subjects to ensure that a stringent plan is formulated, using principles of policy for guidance.

The committee, while recognizing that the process will be slow, recommended calculated movement. It was also suggested that the committee must minutely study one single subject at a time for more clarity.

The presence of all stakeholders including provincial and federal representatives was stressed in the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022