A deadlock persists between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on the non-inclusion of profit-earning departments to the provinces amongst devolved ministries under the 18th amendment and the PML-N has threatened to move Supreme Court on this matter.
Well-placed sources said Water and Power Minister Naveed Qamar met senior PML-N leader Ishaq Dar. Dar is reported to have told Qamar that the implementation commission transferred 17 ministries and its allied departments to provinces under 18th amendment. He said the PML-N should have raised its objections on devolution on the respective forum before June 30 and the federal ministries which were to be merged into provinces now stood dissolved.
Sources claimed that Ishaq Dar said over 40 profit earning departments had not been devolved. These include several allied departments of the ministry of health and ministry of sports, workers welfare fund, EOBI, Sheikh Zaid Hospital and other departments. This was in breach of the 18th amendment, he is reported to have said.
Sources said Ishaq Dar while apprising federal minister of the PML-N’s reservations had made it clear that his party would not sit silently on the matter and would raise the issue all forums available including the council for common interests.