It has become a norm, for some minister or the other, to criticize the 18th Amendment for diverting too many resources away from the center and allocating it to the provinces. There is also talk about scraping the 18th Amendment. At the moment, any change in the constitution requires a two-thirds majority which the current government clearly lacks. To scrap the 18th Amendment, either all political parties have to be brought on one page; or there has to be even more intervention. Both scenarios are unlikely. Why does the government then keep talking about the detrimental effect of the 18th Amendment?
The federal government’s main grouse against the 18th Amendment is that it allocates more funds to the provinces and thus leaves the centre with very little money. The claim is not entirely true; as the funds allotted to the provinces according to the amendment does not cause far too much of a deficit in the centre’s kitty. The real reason for the shortfall in the centre’s funds has been its inability to collect required taxes. The scrapping of the 18th Amendment should not even be contemplated, because it was with the insertion of the amendment that the true status of our federation with real provincial autonomy was highlighted.
Akbar Jan Marwat
Islamabad