KARACHI, March 4: Sindh Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr Sohrab Sarki has said that present government is serious in settling the issue of provincial autonomy and that the federal government has asked provinces to send their recommendations in this regard.
Addressing a radio press conference, Dr Sarki pointed out that “1973 Constitution is clear on giving autonomy to provinces in all matters, except finance, defence and foreign affairs. The grant of autonomy to provinces will go down in the history as a big achievement of the present government.”
He referred to All-Parties Interactive Dialogue being held in Karachi on March 7, and hoped that all political parties and political figures, besides journalists, intellectuals and writers, invited to the moot would put forth their views and recommendations so that maximum powers could be taken for the province from the Centre.
In reply to a question, the minister made it clear that the Interactive dialogue would deal only with the issues related to provincial autonomy.
He told a questioner that Sindh had taken up the issue of GST with the federal government, emphasising that it was a provincial subject and should be given to provinces.
He said that NFC, concurrent list, etc. would also figure high at the conference.
Replying to a question regarding class IX and X examinations, Dr Sarki said Sindh government had adopted a clear stand on this issue and the Sindh governor had also issued an ordinance for separate examinations.
“Sindh cannot afford composite examination while the fact is that examinations around the world are held under semester system. Here in Sindh, the burden of composite examination will not be endurable,” he added.
He said that it is for the first time in the country’s history that Sindh had registered its reservations on this issue and the province would take only such step which would serve its interest.The minister told a questioner that legal experts like Abdul Hafeez Pirzada and Mujib Pirzada, and political stalwarts like Ilahi Bux Soomro, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi and Yusuf Haroon, had also been invited to the conference.
Answering another question, he said: “The NFC, CCI, IPPC are important ingredients of the Constitution, but these were not so active in the past and it is only the present government that has activated them, and to make it further functional, the Ministry of Provincial Coordination has also been formed at the Centre.”
About the decisions taken at the ministerial conference on provincial coordination in Lahore, Dr Sarki said: “Our two points were accepted: (1) the coal mines lease will now be granted by Sindh government, and (2) Sindh will be taken into conference while taking decisions regarding coal mining and associated projects in Sindh.”
Regarding expenses on deployment of the Rangers in Sindh, the minister recalled that the force was posted in Sindh during the PPP government in 1993 and the Centre had committed to meet 50 per cent of the expenditure incurred on their operations in Sindh.
He said the Centre did fulfill its commitment for a couple of years, but stopped sharing the cost later. So far, he said, the Sindh government had spent Rs3,034.94 million under this head out of which Rs1,517.47 million were to be paid by the federal government. The federal government had agreed to the same and a one-month time had been given for reconciliation of this amount.—APP
