New provinces, referendum debate must be settled in parliament: Rana Sanaullah

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Senator Rana Sanaullah has said that any decision on the creation of new provinces including whether a referendum should be held on the matter must be taken by Parliament.

Speaking on a programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, Sanaullah said Parliament was the appropriate forum to decide whether a referendum was necessary and determine the question that would be put before voters.

He also questioned the practicality of passing legislation now while leaving its implementation until after the next general elections.

Discussing constitutional amendments, Sanaullah recalled that political parties had held extensive consultations with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman before reaching an agreement on the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

He said representatives of three political parties had repeatedly met Fazlur Rehman with discussions covering each provision of the proposed amendment before consensus was reached.

According to Sanaullah the establishment of a constitutional court under the 27th Amendment was part of the unfinished agenda of the 26th Amendment.

He maintained that the government favoured bringing an amendment before Parliament only after securing the required numbers. However he said the government had not yet made preparations for the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment or begun consultations with political stakeholders.

Sanaullah also highlighted the issue of transferring powers to local governments arguing that although the 18th Amendment shifted authority from the federal government to the provinces provincial administrations had not adequately devolved those powers to lower levels.

He said the problem could be addressed through provincial arrangements the creation of smaller administrative units or an effective local government system.

The adviser suggested introducing a Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) mechanism similar to the National Finance Commission (NFC) arguing that transferring funds directly to union councils could help strengthen local institutions and give them greater authority.

He also questioned how local governments could become effective without constitutional protection.

In his concluding remarks Sanaullah identified terrorism as Pakistan’s immediate challenge. The supplied report ends mid-sentence so his final remarks have not been expanded beyond the available text.