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Stay off the Irsa minefield

143 12
24.03.2024

AFTER the Feb 8 elections and the events preceding it left Pakistan badly divided, unwelcome developments are taking place which could severely strain the federation’s unity. It is incumbent on the forces driving this agenda to step back and rethink their priorities.

The question of whether or not the National Fin­ance Commission awarded ‘way too much’ to the provinces is being debated these days. A hea­lthy debate can ensue with writers and thinkers on the economy weighing in on maintaining or curtailing the provinces’ share of national resources.

While such a debate is welcome, any move to bulldoze a unilateral decision that lacks the full backing of the federating units will exacerbate divisions and the sense of alienation that sizeable chunks of the population are experiencing after a disputed election.

A vibrant federation that guarantees the rights of all federating units is a prerequisite for national unity. Where there are widespread complaints and allegations of many people feeling disenfranchised, an arbitrary attempt to enforce a pro-centre financial solution will not help.

A number of experts, including Dawn columnist Khurram Husain last Thursday, have argued that blaming the provincial share for the financial woes of the centre may be an oversimplification as there are many other areas that need to be looked at, the most fundamental being tax reform. Khurram Husain makes a compelling case that raising the issue of the provinces’ ‘profligacy’ to explain the federal resource crunch is a red herring.

A vibrant federation that........

© Dawn


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