THE 18th Constitutional Amendment, it is often argued, has given so much liberty to the provinces that they could now operate as independent entities. This reminds me of the infamous Six Points of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman that were not accepted by the ruling clique at the time, and which resulted in the dismemberment of the country.

Once the said amendment took effect, the Centre has seriously curtailed powers, and the provinces have shown no intention to devolve powers down to the grassroots level. Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) do not even have a local body system of their own. Making things worse is the piece of legislation introduced in the Sindh Assembly — the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Act, 2026 — which states that on the expiry of the current term of local governments, the outgoing mayor or town chairman will act as administrator till further elections are held.

Also, the Police Act, 2026, has shifted all administrative powers, including appointments, postings and transfers of individuals, from the office of the inspector-general of police (IGP) to the provincial government. This is centralisation of power under an amendment that was introduced in the name of devolution of power.

As things stand, the Sindh government is apparently trying to subjugate the powers of the police force. Besides, it is not likely to hold fresh elections for local bodies anytime soon, which means retention of power through so-called administrators. It is high time to reconsider our options regarding distribution of powers between the Centre and the provinces in the larger interest of the state and all its citizens.

Malik ul Quddoos
Karachi

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2026