THE DEVOLUTION OF POWERS FROM CENTRE TO PROVINCES IN PAKISTAN: AN APPRAISAL OF THE 18TH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

Abstract

In the constitutional history of Pakistan, the 18th Constitutional Amendment has been praised nationwide and regarded as a landmark in the devolution of state power. The amendment included strengthening various institutions responsible for intergovernmental coordination and conflict resolution. The politico-administrative authority of the state has now been devolved to lower levels, enabling people to resolve their issues at their doorstep. It redefined parliamentary powers, restored the parliamentary role as originally envisioned by the 1973 constitution, and delegated many vital tasks to provincial governments that had previously been assigned to the federal government. Before this amendment, there was an urgent need in the country to address issues such as provincial autonomy, fiscal decentralization, and administrative empowerment of the federating units. The government had already faced political turmoil and chaos, particularly in less populated regions like Baluchistan. By managing internal challenges such as tensions between the federation and the provinces, as well as inter-provincial disparities, and by allowing the people of all provinces to enjoy their legitimate rights through this amendment, Pakistan can now aspire to emerge as a viable and prosperous federation. This paper closely examines the content and scope of the amendment. It also looks at how it has been put into action. The goal is to understand how much authority has shifted and what that change means. The study also closely analyzes the devolution of powers from the Centre to the provinces via this amendment and sheds light on both new capabilities and disadvantages for the provinces.