REPORT
The Eighteenth Amendment and
Civil-Military Relations
Pakistan Study Group on Federalism
Friday, February 20, 2015
National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research,
New Campus, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
PAKISTAN STUDY GROUP ON FEDERALISM
Contents
Abbreviations and Acronyms
....................................................................................................................................4
Preface
....................................................................................................................................5
Brief Report of the Public Launching of Pakistan Study Group on Federalism
....................................................................................................................................6
Key Note Address
Dr. Mohammad Waseem, Professor of Political Science, LUMS
....................................................................................................................................7
Vote of Thanks
Zarina Salamat, Vice President, Council of Social Sciences
....................................................................................................................................9
Pictorial
..................................................................................................................................10
3
PAKISTAN STUDY GROUP ON FEDERALISM
Abbreviations and Acronyms
COSS
Council of Social Sciences
NIHCR
National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research
QAU
Qauid-i-Azam University
UNDP
United Nations Development Programme
4
PAKISTAN STUDY GROUP ON FEDERALISM
Preface
The Pakistan Study Group on Federalism organized its lecture “The Eighteenth
Amendment and Civil-Military Relations” on February 20, 2015 at the National
Institute of Historical and Cultural Research, QAU, Islamabad. Academics,
Civil Society and media persons attended this lecture with shared enthusiasm.
Keynote Speaker was Dr. Mohammad Waseem, Professor of Political Science,
LUMS.
Keynote Speaker pointed out the pros and cons of the eighteenth
amendment. He shed a light on the dynamics of civil-military relations after
this historical amendment.
Disclaimer:
The content of this report does not necessarily represent the views of
Pakistan Study Group on Federalism.
Islamabad
12 November, 2014
5
PAKISTAN STUDY GROUP ON FEDERALISM
Brief Summary
The 18th Constitutional Amendment, passed unanimously by all political parties, has
introduced radical reforms by giving unprecedented autonomy to provinces in
legislative, fiscal and administrative domains; however, the implementation and
institutionalization of decentralization faces significant challenges in a state which has
a strong legacy of a dominant centre.
International experiences of federalism suggest that massive constitutional reforms such as the 18th Constitutional Amendment – require substantial time, resources,
commitment and capacity to translate a federal framework into an effective and
sustainable functional reality for the provinces. Therefore, a schematic,sequential
and continuous process of transition management, negotiation and resolution is a
pre-requisite for effective implementation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
Currently, follow-up policies, legislative and institutional frameworks on some
devolved subjects are missing at federal, provincial and district levels.
There is a great need for requisite technical knowledge, data, expertise and skills as
well as political understanding and political will to capitalize on these constitutional
reforms which could serve as building blocks for effective transition and devolution
management in Pakistan leading to significant democratic gains.
It is against this backdrop that the Pakistan Study Group on Federalism has
established a public lecture Series to inform and facilitate the transition management
of the eighteenth amendment. The PSFG has been jointly instituted by the UNDP’s
project on the Strengthening Participatory Federalism and Decentralization, the
National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research and the Council of Social
Sciences. In the lecture Dr. Mohammad Waseem traced the genealogy and history of
federalism in Pakistan. He opined that local body system is important for the true
democratization of the society. He also stressed the need to reform the provincial
civil service after the eighteenth amendment.
6
PAKISTAN STUDY GROUP ON FEDERALISM
Dr. Mohammad Waseem
Without carrying out the bureaucratic reforms, 18thamendment will not bring any
tangible change in the power structure of the governance of the country. The
Eighteenth amendment requires strengthening of the provincial civil services. This
amendment demands capacity building of all the provincial institutions and it would
not be possible without carrying out due reforms in the structure of civil services.
Senate of Pakistan represents all the provinces but cannot affect any concrete policy
making as it does not have the authority to pass money bill whereas Senates in the
USA and Brazil are powerful enough in debating and passing the money bills. There
is asymmetrical policy scope of the two houses – Senate and National Assembly.
Federalism in Pakistan is the case of ethnic federalism where minorities and minority
ethnic communities are excluded from the mainstream politics; Punjab dominates the
mainstream narratives and it has caused Punjabization of Pakistan. The 18th
amendment has given the provinces a viable autonomy yet the limited infrastructural
capacity of provinces hampers the dispensation of power at the grassroots level.
7th NFC Award has given substantial fiscal autonomy to the provinces but centre still
controls the strings of purse; this is the reason it still dominates the policy making in
the Centre. Military does not want devolution of the resources to the grassroots level.
If resources are devolved to the provinces then there will be fewer resources
available for the defence budget of the army.
7
PAKISTAN STUDY GROUP ON FEDERALISM
There are certain flaws in the eighteenth amendment. FATA has not been integrated
into KPK. There are no provisions in the 18th amendment for the accountability of
the security agencies and setting up of a Federal Constitutional Court.
India after partition accommodated cultural and linguistic identities and created the
new provinces on the basis of it whereas Pakistan undermined the diversity and
established its state structure on religion.
Provinces are reluctant to hold local bodies’ elections and this is an epic case of
“centralized decentralisation”. Local bodies system is important for the true
democratisation of the country.
Gilgit-Baltistan is still lurking in the constitutional vacuum as it has no effective
representation in the parliament. People of the GB want reintegration into the
political system of Pakistan.
It is important for Pakistan to realize this fact that centralization would further
alienate the smaller provinces of Pakistan. There are several efforts undergoing to
reverse the eighteenth amendment. This trend must be discouraged and we need to
understand the importance of the eighteenth amendment for the better governance
in future.
8
PAKISTAN STUDY GROUP ON FEDERALISM
Zarina Salamat
I would like to pay my gratitude to Dr. Mohammad Waseem that he has spared his
precious time for this lecture. I am also thankful to civil society, media persons and
academia that they have participated in this lecture.
I think Pakistan has been suffering from severe institutional imbalance since its
inception. Power is still centralized in Islamabad and smaller provinces are still
suffering due to the discriminatory behavior of federal government.
We are still stuck with the administrative and financial centralization. Putting the local
bodies system in its place is the only way out for the strengthening of the inclusive
democracy. We need to believe in unity in diversity.
9
PAKISTAN STUDY GROUP ON FEDERALISM
Pictorial
Caption: members of COSS, NIHCR during the lecture
Caption: Members of HSF and Aurat Foundation during the
lecture
Caption: Dr. Mohammad Waseem
Caption: Members of UNDP and NIHCR
Caption: Zarina Salamat presents souvenir to Dr. Mohammad
Waseem
Caption: Vote of Thanks by Zarina Salamat
10