The 18th Amendment Implementation Commission proposed on Tuesday that the federal government should retain certain functions of national and international significance of the ministries to be devolved to the provinces. These subjects would be handed over to various federal ministries after necessary amendments to the law, which would be made soon.
The commission has proposed that the functions of the Environment Ministry regarding national policy, plans, strategies and programmes about environmental pollution, ecology, forestry, wildlife, biodiversity, climate change and desertification should be given to the Planning and Development Division. The coordination, monitoring and implementation of environmental agreements with other countries, international agencies and forums have been asked to be assigned to the Planning and Development Division as well.
The Secretariat of Pakistan Environmental Protection Council, established under the Pakistan Environment Protection Act of 1997, and the Quaid-e-Azam Mazar Management Board and its memorial fund have been referred to be assigned to the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry.
The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency has been asked to be retained by the Capital Administration Development Division (CADD) and the hunting areas for foreign dignitaries should be managed by the Foreign Affairs Ministry through the provinces concerned.
The Zoological Survey of Pakistan has been referred to be handed over to the Science and Technology Ministry, National Energy Conservation Centre (ENERCON) to the Water and Power Ministry, Marine Biological Research Laboratory Karachi to the Ports and Shipping Ministry, and the Global Environment Impact Study Centre Islamabad to the Planning and Development Division.
Moreover, the commission recommended that issues pertaining to food supplies and their storage should be looked after by the Federal Bureau of Statistics, and the procurement of food grains, their inter-provincial movement and exports by the Commerce Ministry; whereas the collection of statistics about food production, consumption and prices by the Federal Bureau of Statistics. Matters pertaining to World Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations should be dealt with by the Economic Affairs Division and agriculture research by the Science and Technology Ministry.
The commission also proposed that pesticides, fertilisers, locust control and PASSCO management should be handed over to the Commerce Ministry and seed testing to the Science and Technology Ministry. The attached departments of the Food and Agriculture Ministry, such as the Department of Plant Protection Karachi and PASSCO, were asked to be given to the Commerce Ministry; the Agricultural Policy Institute, Federal Seed Certification and Registration Islamabad to the Science and Technology Ministry, and the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee to the Textiles Ministry.
The commission also proposed that medical services for the federal employees should be retained by the CADD and orgainisations such as the Red Crescent Society and TB Association by the IPC. The Drugs Act of 1976 should be administered by the Drug Regulatory Agency, recommended the commission.
The attached departments such as the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, Pakistan Nursing Council, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan Council of Homeopathy and National Pharmacy Council should be handed over to the IPC and the National Institute of Health to the Cabinet Division, the commission proposed.
The Industrial Relations Ordinance should be looked after by the IPC, international labour agreements by the Economic Affairs Division, and the Newspaper Employees (Condition of Services) Act of 1973 by the Information Ministry, recommended the commission.
The commission also proposed that foreign employment and emigration should be handed over to the Overseas Pakistanis Ministry and the Workers Welfare Fund and EOBI should be retained by the IPC. Similarly, the commission proposed that certain functions such as the Evacuee Trust Property Board, representation of minorities and related international agreements should be transferred to the Human Rights Ministry.