LAHORE:
Treasury lawmakers sought a permanent solution to the continued posting of federal officials to provincial posts, warning that the practice was sparking a constitutional and governance crisis in the province.
The issue surfaced after an adjournment resolution was moved in the Punjab Assembly by various state government authorities.
The lawmakers stressed in their proposal that continued reliance on federal officials weakens the authority of the provincial chief executive and limits provincial control over the administrative machinery.
Preference for federal officials, the proposal said, reflects institutional distrust of Punjab’s own provincial service and goes against the principles of decentralization and provincial autonomy.
Parliament was urged to immediately discuss the constitutional implications of the gap between Punjab’s constitutional mandate and its actual administrative control.
The proposal also called for discussions on strengthening a responsive provincial civil service that draws on lessons learned from comparative federal systems and international best practices.
In addition, the proposal proposed the formation of a special committee for provincial administrative autonomy and civil service reforms.
The committee will submit its report within 180 days, detailing all federal officials posted to provincial posts, the legal basis for each posting, accountability mechanisms, transfer and posting authority, performance evaluations and recommendations to strengthen provincial cadres.
The motion said that Articles 97, 137 and 240 of the Constitution, along with the Punjab Civil Servants Act, 1974, provide a clear legal framework for provincial services and render pre-1974 schemes ineffective.
The proposal further noted that provincial policies do not apply to federal officials, undermining accountability, continuity and ownership of reforms.
It added that the province is held accountable for results despite having limited control over the administrative apparatus.
It also called for transparent and clear criteria for all exceptional postings.
The motion was jointly filed by Samiullah Khan, Malik Ahmed Saeed Khan, Iftikhar Hussain Chhachhar, Saeed Akbar Khan, Ahsan Raza Khan, Amjad Ali Javed, Muhammad Ahmed Khan Laghari, Zulfiqar Ali Shah Chaudhry Javed Ahmed and others.
The Speaker concluded that the House would proceed after considering the views of the Members who tabled the motion and after receiving the Government’s response.
One of the promoters, Ahmad Iqbal Chaudhry, argued that the appointment of federal officials to provincial vacancies violated the spirit of the 18th Constitutional Amendment and was contrary to the federal structure envisaged in the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973.
The proposal stated that while the constitution guarantees the provinces political and financial autonomy, their administrative autonomy continues to be ignored.
Commenting on the motion, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said the government should be given time to submit its response before a detailed debate is initiated.
“We will give the government time to respond and then Parliament will debate the matter,” Speaker Khan noted.
