Pakistan is constitutionally a federation, a reality all the more since the passage of 18th Constitutional Amendment. But in practice it has functioned as a centrally administered entity for so long that the federal government tends to resist ceding control to the federating units (the provinces). But then the provincial governments too deny space to the local governments, as seems to be the case in Punjab and Sindh. Rightly then there is the second opinion about the ongoing political turmoil: some describe the move as an attempt aimed at bringing about in-house changes in Islamabad and Lahore while others predict mid-term elections. But irrespective of the motivation behind the ongoing turmoil, the need for political stability should override all other considerations or objectives in view of the severity of challenges the country is presently facing. The situation, therefore, underscores the need for all tiers of government to complement each other's efforts strictly in accordance with constitutional stipulations.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020