LAHORE: The National Institute of Political Education (NIPE) has demanded certain changes to the 18th Amendment.

The NIPE members met here on Monday and proposed reforms in the energy, health, education and environment sectors.

They said the 18th Amendment had created some bottlenecks in the center-provincial governance.

“For example, with the insertion of a new sub-section in Article 172 of the Constitution, the mineral and natural resources within the province vests jointly and equally in that province and the federal government. This leads to a duplication of authority as provinces have started demanding separate division in the state owned petroleum exploration companies and also to negotiate contracts for the allocation of exploration blocks.”

In another amendment, the right of provinces over the natural resource produced in that province has been established. This has led to serious shortage of electricity and natural gas in Punjab. The dichotomy of jurisdiction to legislate and power to execute has been further enhanced by 18th Amendment which is creating host of issues ultimately affecting the masses and national development.

Reforms in energy, health proposed

The NIPE said the 18th Amendment Act had a significant impact on the higher education sector nationally and provincially. “At the national level, no legal and legislative protection is given to the HEC as a federal unit. Devolution has encouraged multiplicity of standards/regulations on admissions, and minimum quality requirement for appointment, promotion, quality assurance on academics, curriculum and scholarships and has impact on overall knowledge exchange.”

In the health sector, it said the Drug Act of 1976, the law regulating pharmaceutical sector in the country, and the regulatory structures formed under it for registration, manufacturing, quality assurance of medicines and adjudication of contraventions did not exist anymore under the 18th Amendment.

“There is no provincial legislation at the moment to fill the gap. There is a strong need to have a central framework to regulate life-saving medicines.”

At the meeting, a four member sub-committee comprising retired Justice Khalil Ahmad, Mansoor Usman Malik, Tahir Bashir Khan and Haider Ali Kharal was formed to identify complications arisen after the 18th Amendment and remedies.

Munir Ahmad Khan, retired Brig Nawazish Ali, Tahir Hameed, Pervaiz Lodhi, Tahir Khaliq, Khalid Bajwa and Khalid Ahmed Kharal also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, November 25th , 2014