KARACHI: The devolution of 17 ministries and their departments to the provinces has placed additional responsibilities on the federating units because they must now enhance their capacity and improve their performance so that the benefits of ‘autonomy’ granted to them may reach the masses, according to Senator Mian Raza Rabbani.

Speaking at a press conference at the Chief Minister’s House on Thursday, the Chairman of the Commission on Implementation of 18th Amendment said with the completion of the third phase of devolution the provinces had become stronger which in turn would result in a stronger federation.

“This is a paradigm shift because earlier the federation was stronger and the provinces weaker,” Senator Rabbani said.

He praised all the political parties of the country for enabling the commission to complete its work within a year, but singled out the parliamentarians from Balochistan for their cooperation. “Without their support, achieving this historic feat would have been impossible,” he said.

“This is a historic day and I want to congratulate the nation on this auspicious occasion because the long-cherished dream of provincial autonomy has been fulfilled.”

He said the commission was seized with issues like assets and liabilities of the devolved ministries which the panel hoped to resolve soon.

Accompanied by Rashid Rabbani, Waqar Mehdi and Abu Bhai, the advisers and assistants of Sindh chief minister, Senator Rabbani said the foundation of provincial autonomy had been laid by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto through the 1973 Constitution.

Benazir Bhutto made sure that the abolition of the concurrent list was mentioned in the Charter of Democracy she and Nawaz Sharif signed.

He said he had urged the prime minister to set up a cabinet committee to deal with the problems arising out of the implementation of the 18th Amendment. “The idea of provincial autonomy is still in its infancy and there are bound to be teething problems. However, the Constitution provides the complete framework for addressing all such challenges.”

Senator Rabbani said the devolution plan might not be an ideal plan but it was an important development in efforts to build the edifice of provincial autonomy.

In this regard, any differences between the provinces and between the provinces and the federation could be resolved through dialogue, particularly at the forum of Council of Common Interests.

He urged all the parties to help make the devolution plan a success because political workers had rendered great sacrifices over a long period of time for the cause of provincial autonomy.

Mr Rabbani said that under the plan the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre had been transferred to Sindh but the status of the Sheikh Zayed Hospital was yet to be decided. The Pakistan Sports Board was an autonomous body and would continue to function as such.

The Drug Regulatory Authority was a new institution that would work in coordination with the provinces which would have their representatives on its board, he said. The authority would try to control the quality and prices of medicines.

About the staff of the devolved ministries, Senator Rabbani said that of the over 37,500 employees working for the departments hardly 300 would be in the surplus pool after the completion of devolution.

The employees of autonomous bodies and civil servants and project staff would be transferred with their organisations and departments to the provinces.

The Islamabad-based employees of the devolved ministries who did not want to be relocated to the provinces because of various problems would remain in the federal capital.

Nobody would be laid off in the name of devolution, he maintained.