Provincial Autonomy Day would be celebrated today (Friday) across the country to mark the implementation of the 18th constitutional amendment. The parliamentary commission, constituted to ensure implementation on the 18th amendment, recommended the government to celebrate July 1st as Provincial Autonomy Day. Constituted on May 4, 2010, the commission was assigned the task to complete the devolution process within a year. It held 68 formal meetings besides several informal sessions to take provincial governments and other stakeholders into confidence.
Five federal ministries including Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ministry of Special Initiatives, Ministry of Zakat and Ushr, Ministry of Population Welfare and Ministry of Youth Affairs were devolved to provinces in Phase 1 under the 18th amendment in December 2010.Five more ministries — Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Livestock and Dairy, Ministry of Rural Development and Culture — were transferred to the provinces in April 2011. Seven ministries including Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Manpower, Ministry of Minorities Affairs and Ministry of Women Development were devolved to provinces in June 2011.
Premier Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani directed July 1 to be celebrated as a historic occasion.
