Rs19,000 billion federal spending sparks Senate de…

Islamabad: A Senate committee has raised serious questions over the functioning of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), warning that constitutional powers given to provinces after the 18th Amendment are being weakened through the revival of federal ministries on devolved subjects.

The Senate Standing Committee on Devolution expressed concern that ministries related to education, health, agriculture, food security, climate change and other provincial matters were recreated at the federal level despite their transfer to provinces under the constitutional process.

The committee questioned why federal institutions were continuing to handle matters that were supposed to belong to provinces after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, calling for a review of the entire system.

The meeting was held at Parliament House, Islamabad, where Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro presided over the session. Senators Poonjo Bheel and Jan Muhammad Buledi also attended the meeting.

Senator Ghumro said that under the 18th Amendment, a detailed process was completed in 2010 and 2011 to transfer powers from the federal government to provinces.

He explained that notifications issued on December 2, 2010, April 15, 2011, and June 29, 2011 resulted in the devolution of 17 ministries dealing with subjects that were shifted to provincial control.

According to Senator Ghumro, the recreation of ministries after June 30, 2011, on subjects already transferred to provinces was against the spirit of the Constitution.

He specifically pointed towards areas including education, health, national food security, culture, climate change, housing, social initiatives, EOBI, Evacuee Trust matters and Zakat and Ushr related functions.

The senator argued that creating federal structures for provincial subjects has increased government expenses at a time when Pakistan is facing financial pressure.

He claimed that federal government expenditure has increased to around Rs19,000 billion, while the country’s total tax and non tax revenue stands near Rs20,000 billion.

Senator Ghumro said that apart from defence requirements due to security challenges, other federal ministries should have limited budgets according to constitutional responsibilities.

He suggested that reducing unnecessary federal administrative structures could save around Rs5,000 to Rs6,000 billion and help reduce dependence on foreign loans.

The committee also raised concerns about the ineffective role of the Council of Common Interests, a constitutional body responsible for resolving issues between the federation and provinces.

Senator Ghumro said the CCI’s permanent secretariat was not functioning effectively and stressed that the institution must be strengthened to protect provincial rights.

The committee decided to form a subcommittee to examine alleged violations related to the implementation of the 18th Amendment, including the revival of ministries and the role of the CCI.

Senator Poonjo Bheel said that ministries created on devolved subjects should be abolished because the matter had already been settled through the constitutional process.

Senator Jan Muhammad Buledi said the subcommittee should not only review the recreated ministries but also examine why the CCI had become ineffective despite having an important constitutional role.

The committee also directed the Establishment Division to avoid making appointments in departments dealing with devolved subjects and ensure that provincial representation is protected in government appointments and promotions.

Officials were asked to provide details of appointments in different grades within two weeks and submit a compliance report within 15 days.

It emphasized that the federal government should support provinces rather than reduce their constitutional benefits.

The committee also reviewed the issue of the Rs46 billion allocation for Quaid-e-Azam’s Mausoleum, which was not released last year and was reportedly transferred to another ministry.

The committee directed authorities to provide monthly progress reports regarding the development and maintenance of Mazar-e-Quaid.

The committee further sought details about the tenure of federal secretaries and directed the Establishment Division to submit complete records.