‘Centre not interested in devolving functions to provinces’

CM Murad expresses reservations in meeting with members of Senate Functional Committee on Devolution Process; Senator Mir Kabeer Shahi says Balochistan,

KP chief ministers had also relayed similar concerns,

vows to take up matter with federal government

In a meeting held with members of the Senate Functional Committee on Devolution Process on Thursday, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah observed that the federal government was refusing to devolve its functions and ministries to provinces.

“It is unfair on smaller provinces and this denial will only further intensify their sense of deprivation,” the CM stated.

Headed by Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmed Mohammad Shahi, other members of the delegation included Nawabzada Saifullah Magsi, Tahir Mashahadi, Taj Hyder, Atta-ur-Rehman, Mohammad Usman Khan Kakar, Saeed Ghani, and others.

Murad said the previous PPP government had unanimously passed the amendment, before which all parliamentary parties were taken into confidence. “In principle, the federal government would have devolved the functions, powers and assets of all the 18 ministries,” he said. 

He said the devolution of Evacuee Trust, Pakistan Sports Board, EOBI, Workers Welfare Fund, OECP and OPF to the provinces, provincial representatives in the federal entities, devolution of institutions, offices related to fisheries, matters pertaining to higher education and similar bodies and various others were still awaited.

“We have been sending letters and notes but they all seem to have fallen on deaf ears,” he deplored. However, he hoped the senate’s committee would fight for the smaller provinces.

The committee chairman Senator Shahi, while endorsing the CM’s arguments, said that instead of devolving the existing 18 ministries, the federal government created another 12.

“We have held meetings with the chief ministers of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and, now, Sindh. All of them have expressed the same reservations,” he said. 

Shahi added that it was, however, heartening to see that all provinces were on the same page on the issue of devolution.

He further said that provincial chief secretary Siddique Memon had given them a detailed briefing on Sindh’s doubts regarding the process of devolution.

“Sindh’s case is quite strong and we would further raise the issue with the federal government,” he assured.