ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) -A Senate sub-committee has alleged that the federal government spent more than Rs5 trillion on subjects constitutionally devolved to provinces and ministries dealing with matters assigned to the Council of Common Interests (CCI), raising questions over compliance with the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
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Senator Barrister Zamir Hussain Ghumro, who heads the Senate Functional Committee on Devolution’s sub-committee, cited figures from the Auditor General of Pakistan’s report, estimating the expenditure at more than $18 billion.
Speaking at a meeting on Tuesday, Ghumro said excessive federal spending and heavy borrowing had placed additional pressure on the country’s finances.
He stated that federal government expenditure stood at approximately Rs19 trillion against combined tax and non-tax revenues of around Rs20 trillion, leaving limited fiscal space for provincial governments and contributing to further borrowing.
The PPP senator argued that full implementation of the 18th Amendment could significantly reduce unnecessary federal expenditure and strengthen provincial autonomy.
He maintained that matters transferred to provinces should be handled by provincial governments, while subjects falling under Part II of the Federal Legislative List should be dealt with through the CCI framework under Article 154 of the Constitution.
Ghumro claimed that Pakistan had received around $15 billion in assistance from the International Monetary Fund over the past 15 years, while spending an estimated $18 billion to $20 billion on devolved ministries and institutions.
He argued that these resources could have been directed towards infrastructure, education, healthcare and social development.
The senator also questioned the constitutional basis for federal spending on provincial responsibilities, including health, education, housing, sanitation and water services.
He said federal expenditure from the Federal Consolidated Fund must remain within the responsibilities assigned to the federation under the Constitution.
According to Ghumro, the Finance Ministry and the Auditor General should ensure that public funds are allocated only to constitutionally authorised federal functions.
He further said the CCI and Cabinet Division had previously forwarded proposals to the prime minister seeking the abolition of 24 ministries and institutions dealing with provincial and CCI-related matters. However, a response was still awaited.
The sub-committee directed the CCI and Cabinet Division to submit a fresh proposal to the prime minister for abolishing such ministries and reducing unnecessary federal expenditure.
The issue follows concerns raised by the Senate Functional Committee on Devolution in July over the re-establishment of federal ministries dealing with subjects transferred to provinces under the 18th Amendment.
At a previous meeting last month, senators had also called for an investigation into federal expenditure of approximately Rs2.6 trillion on education and health ministries.
Provincial representation in federal jobs
The sub-committee also reviewed the representation of Sindh and Balochistan in federal ministries, departments and public-sector corporations.
The Establishment Division informed the committee that advertisements had been issued for 5,000 positions allocated to Balochistan to address its representation shortfall under Article 38(g) of the Constitution.
However, Ghumro said the committee had identified a backlog of more than 30,000 positions for Balochistan and over 80,000 for Sindh, which needed to be addressed through fresh recruitment.
The Federal Public Service Commission secretary told the meeting that recruitment against the provincial quotas of Sindh and Balochistan would be accelerated following the clearance of an earlier backlog. He also referred to a special CSS examination conducted for candidates from the two provinces.
The committee expressed concern over the limited representation of candidates from Sindh and Balochistan in senior federal positions, including secretaries and chief executive officers.
Ghumro directed the federal government to provide a grade-wise breakdown of provincial representation in grades 18 to 22 within 15 days.
He also called for faster recruitment against vacant positions in grades 1 to 15 through relevant ministries, grades 16 and 17 through the FPSC, and senior positions through the federal government and prime minister.
The panel stressed that constitutional provisions on provincial representation must be implemented through practical recruitment measures rather than assurances.
Media functions and provincial autonomy
The committee also expressed dissatisfaction over the failure of the Information Ministry to submit a report on the proposed devolution of federal print media organisations and functions.
The ministry had previously sought one month to develop a mechanism for transferring relevant responsibilities to provinces and addressing the allocation of broadcasting rights under Article 159 of the Constitution.
The sub-committee directed the ministry to finalise the outstanding matters and submit a compliance report within 15 days.
