LAHORE:
Legislators on the treasury benches sought a permanent solution to the continued appointment of federal officials to provincial positions, warning that the practice was triggering a constitutional and governance crisis in the province.
The issue arose after several Treasury MPAs moved an adjournment motion in the Punjab Assembly.
The legislators in their motion stressed that the continued dependence on federal officials weakens the authority of the chief executive of the province and limits provincial control over the administrative machinery.
The preference for federal officials, according to the motion, reflects institutional distrust in Punjab’s own provincial public administration and goes against the principles of devolution and provincial autonomy.
The House was urged to immediately debate the constitutional implications of the gap between Punjab’s constitutional mandate and its actual administrative control.
The motion also called for discussions on strengthening a responsive provincial public administration, drawing on lessons from comparative federal systems and international best practices.
Additionally, the motion proposed the formation of a special committee on provincial administrative autonomy and civil service reforms.
The committee will present its report within 180 days, detailing all federal officials appointed to provincial positions, the legal basis for each position, accountability mechanisms, transfer and appointment authority, performance evaluations and recommendations to strengthen provincial cadres.
The motion said Articles 97, 137 and 240 of the Constitution, along with the Punjab Civil Servants Act, 1974, provide a clear legal framework for provincial services and render pre-1974 arrangements ineffective.
The motion further noted that provincial policies do not apply to federal officials, undermining accountability, continuity and ownership of the reforms.
He added that the province is responsible for the results despite having limited control over the administrative apparatus.
He also called for transparent and clear criteria for any exceptional positions.
The motion was jointly moved by Samiullah Khan, Malik Ahmed Saeed Khan, Iftikhar Hussain Chhachhar, Saeed Akbar Khan, Ahsan Raza Khan, Amjad Ali Javed, Muhammad Ahmed Khan Laghari, Zulfiqar Ali Shah Chaudhry Javed Ahmed and others.
The Speaker concluded that the House would proceed after considering the views of the members who moved the motion and after receiving the government’s response.
One of the proponents, Ahmad Iqbal Chaudhry, argued that the appointment of federal officials to provincial vacancies violated the spirit of the 18th Constitutional Amendment and contradicted the federal structure provided for in the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan.
The motion stated that although the Constitution guarantees the provinces political and financial autonomy, their administrative autonomy continues to be ignored.
Commenting on the motion, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said the government should be given time to submit its reply before a detailed debate begins.
“We will give the government time to respond and then the House will discuss the matter,” President Khan said.
