January 06, 2007	Saturday	Zilhaj 15, 1427

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PESHAWAR, Jan 5: The NWFP government has deferred the passage of a resolution from the provincial assembly authorising the federal government to extend the jurisdiction of the National Commission on Government Reforms (NCGR) to the provincial and district governments.

A decision to this effect was taken at the provincial cabinet's meeting held a few days ago, where a detailed briefing about the role of NCGR was given to the participants, said NWFP Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Malak Zafar Azam while talking to Dawn.

The cabinet, according to him, was told that the provincial governments were required to pass a resolution from their respective assemblies, which will authorise the federal government to issue a draft ordinance extending the scope of NCGR to the provincial and district governments.

However, the cabinet discussed the issue and expressed its reservations on the overall reform process in the civil services initiated by the federal government, he maintained.

Mr Azam said that the cabinet believed that all reforms initiatives, particularly the devolution of power plan devised by the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB), had failed to deliver rather it had destroyed the institutions ultimately affecting the service delivery.

"Keeping in view such reservations, the provincial cabinet decided not to move any resolution in the NWFP Assembly leaving the mater for the other three provincial governments," the minister said.

Article 144 of the 1973 Constitution authorises the federal government to make any legislation through parliament for the four federating units, if a similar resolution is passed from at least two provincial assemblies.

The NCGR, headed by a former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Dr Ishrat Hussain, had been formed on July 6, 2006 with a view to simplify rules and procedures at all tiers of governance for the efficient implementation of government policies.

The commission was initially studying the restructuring of governance at federal, provincial, district levels and civil services and will propose simplification of rules and procedures and timely implementation of policies. Proposals of the commission would be approved in a phased manner. The NWFP government had constituted a committee assisted by another sub-committee with representatives from all the line departments as its members.

The two committees are responsible for making recommendations in line with the broader requirements of the NCGR, as their recommendations would be the policy stand of the provincial government on future governance related issues.