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Experts call for complete provincial autonomy
KARACHI
- Speakers at the meeting of the Shura Hamdard Karachi chapter the
other day urged the government to grant complete provincial autonomy
and gradually reduce the concurrent list of the constitution, which
has become a bone of contention between federation and provinces.
The meeting titled “Provincial Powers and Solidarity of the
Federation” was held under the chair of Justice Haziqul Khairi,
Chief Justice Federal Shariat Court at a local hotel. Sadia Rashid,
President Hamdard Foundation Pakistan was also present.
Speaking on the occasion, Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan said that for
the sake of national solidarity, complete autonomy should be given
to all provinces as was guaranteed in the 1973 Constitution. He
added that due to the growing sense of deprivation, Balochistan was
slipping out our hands.
Dr. Mohammed Ali Siddiqui said that All India Muslim League was the
champion of provincial autonomy and the basic dispute between All
India Congress and All India Muslim League was on provincial
autonomy.
“The concurrent list, which is main hurdle in the way of provincial
autonomy was to be ended in 1985. But it could not be materialised
due to the indifferent attitude of the then Parliament. The
Parliament does not perform its main function of legislation”, he
said.
Dr. Akhlaq Ahmed, Pro-Vice Chancellor University of Karachi, said
the strength of centre depended on the strength of provinces and if
the federating units were weak, the federation could not become
stronger.
“The education sector should be handed over to the provinces so that
they could make their own education policies, reflective of their
own culture”, he demanded.
Noted economist, Dr. Shahid Hassan Siddiqui was of the view that
there were three main factors responsible for present situation of
Pakistan, namely the US, the feudalism and the NRO. He demanded the
constitution should be restored to its original shape of 12th
October 1999.
The Nation:May 16,2009
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