KARACHI, Dec 26: The Sindh National Party has called for granting fiscal powers to provinces as without it the autonomy issue will remain unresolved.
A communication sent to higher authorities by party chairman Amir Bhambhro welcomed the government’s move for granting autonomy to the provinces, but at the same time it expressed serious concern about the financial status of the provinces.
According to the SNP, though it is being proposed that 22 out of the 47 subjects will be handed over to the provincial governments, there is no commitment that the centre will also cede some of the taxes which rightly belong to the provinces, but have been retained by the centre such as the sales tax.
Mr Bhambhro said without transferring fiscal powers to the provinces concurrently, mere simple transfer of subjects would only add burden to the already squeezed resources of the provinces.
He argued that until the details of the autonomy were made public, it would be considered as another propaganda ploy.
He suggested that the concurrent list in the constitution be abolished and sales tax handed over to the provinces forthwith by amending article 160 of the constitution.
At the same time, he demanded that the council of common interests be established permanently as required under the constitution.
He also called for empowering the Senate to approve all constitutional appointments on the pattern of the US constitution.
The SNP chief also demanded that the centre cede all other departments except defence, foreign affairs, communications and finance. Besides, the local government and police be deleted from the sixth schedule of the constitution.
