|
The British Council in collaboration with Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) held a seminar ‘Devolution: The Reality’ at Holiday Inn, Islamabad on 21 August 2000. The objective was to discuss the government’s new Devolution Plan, and its merits and demerits. |  |
The speakers were:
Dr Inayatullah, academic and research scholar, chaired the seminar. Peter Ellwood, Director Pakistan, The British Council presented the welcome address.
Peter Ellwood
In his opening remarks Peter Ellwood gave a brief introduction of the British Council and the work it does in Pakistan and around the world. This includes work in the field of governance and human rights, specifically in legal and judicial reform, management and administrative reform, gender mainstreaming, and information dissemination on related issues. |  |
Peter Ellwood said that Britain’s experiences, good and bad, in working with the democratic process have an obvious resonance in Pakistan, especially at a time when the British government is actively promoting devolution within the UK, establishing, for example, a parliament in Scotland. more…
Daniyal Aziz
Daniyal Aziz presented an overview of the government’s recently announced Devolution Plan which proposes a number of changes in local government, the administrative and management set up, elections, and police reforms. In the past, he said, attempts had been made by President Ayub Khan through the Basic Democracies system and then later by President Zia by introducing the Local Bodies set up.
A number of tiers were increased in local administration. Lateral expansion took place the aim of which was to enhance the careers of bureaucrats. This did little else than add to departmental rivalry; government service and delivery was marginalised, and it was unable to keep pace with maintaining law and order; corruption grew as did politicisation of the bureaucracy. more…
Dr Kaiser Bengali
Dr Kaiser Bengali, speaking against the proposed Devolution Plan, said that the present regime is illegitimate and that no good could come out of evil. In reply to Daniyal Aziz’s claim that DCs and DIG rule arbitrarily, Dr Bengali said that this is exactly what the present regime has done: it suspended people’s elected assemblies. more…
Dr Shahrukh Rafi Khan
Dr Shahrukh Rafi Khan said that SDPI had written three policy papers and briefs with Asia Foundation on the Devolution Plan: i) An Indicative Model for Power Devolution to the Grassroots Level; ii) Devolution of Power to the Grassroots Level: Some Key Issues; iii) Costing the National Reconstruction Bureau’s Devolution Proposal (policy brief).
He welcomed the government’s move to address gender issues in the Devolution Plan and also welcomed the process of accountability that was being proposed in the new set-up. However, he said, this should have been based on the 1973 Constitution, power given to the provinces and party politics encouraged. more…
Dr A.R. Kemal
Dr A.R. Kemal highlighted the fiscal side of the plan. He said that work must be carried out to ascertain division of taxation either at the District or Division level. Other aspects he highlighted included revenue generation and paying the Provincial and Federal governments. What proportion would this be? What should be the criteria? Should this be based on population? Area? Poverty level? Should this be need-based? more…
Dr Inayatullah
Dr Inayatullah said that the Local Government Plan 2000, if implemented as proposed, will for the first time in Pakistan’s history give a major percentage in elected bodies to women. more…
Home> Info exchange> News and events >
Seminar held on ‘Devolution: The reality’
