Democracy cannot function without devolution of powers at grassroots level: Speakers

Islamabad: The speakers at the Breakout Session of the two-day international constitutional convention aiming to commemorate the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Constitution of Pakistan on Wednesday said the democracy could not function without devolution of powers at the grassroots level.

Chairing the session on ‘Federalism and Devolution of Powers: Challenges and Opportunities’, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Dr Nafisa Shah explained that federalism, a state-building governance, was a fascinating model offering wide-ranging solutions to addressing diversities and differences in a political system.

She quoted the Magistrate of History Lord Acton as saying that “Federalism is the best curb on democracy. It assigns limited powers to the central government. Thereby all power is limited. It excludes absolute power of the majority.”

Nafisa Shah ironically said “The frequent military rule in Pakistan helped strengthen the federal system in the country as every time, the military rule suspends the Constitution and sub-national movements got concurrency for further reinforcing the demand for a federal constitution to protect the rights of smaller provinces.”

She was of the view that the 1973 Constitution which was being celebrated today, made an important contribution in defining the federal structure that sought to curb the majoritarianism in Pakistan.

She termed the eighteen amendments a constitutional milestone in the history of Pakistan as it abolished the concurrent list by enhancing the provincial subjects many folds according to the promises made in the Constitution 1973.

Concluding her remarks, she said Pakistan was in dire need of a strong local government system as envisioned in the Constitution.

Meanwhile, Senator Anwwar-ul-Haq Kakar said the federating units were a symbol of ethnicity, adding that although they had been empowered but there was an emergent need to devolve the powers to the local bodies.

New Jersey State Representative, United States of America (USA), Shama A. Haider said the USA was the most successful federation in the world and its success rested on the devolution of powers.

She underscored that the USA made maximum budgetary allocation to the education and Health sectors hoping the same in the future of Pakistan.

Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed highlighting the progress of Sindh said after the 18th Amendment, it was devising a mechanism for the better utilization and conservation of mineral resources.

Besides development in the health sector, he said Thar, a desert area of Sindh, had coal reserves of around 175 billion tons, which was generating around 3000 Megawatt electricity.

Former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya, Farah Maalim Mohamed supported the federalism and devolution of powers in the Constitution.

He stressed that accountability should be the cornerstone of federalism otherwise; it would only perpetuate corruption and exploitation.

The session concluded with a round of questions and answers from the eminent scholars and speakers.