Provinces in Pakistan Vs States in India: Are Pakistani Provinces More Powerful?

Описание: In this in-depth episode of CPDI Governance Talk, we tackle a critical question for Pakistan's future: Why do Pakistan and India, born as independent nations at the same time with a shared colonial legacy, have such fundamentally different federal structures?

Host Nowsheen Khurram and governance expert Mukhtar Ahmad Ali delve into a comparative analysis of Pakistan's substantially devolved federation and India's highly centralized 'Union of States'. The discussion is framed around the current heated debate in Pakistan concerning the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment, the creation of new provinces (South Punjab, Hazara, etc.), and the demand to revisit the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.

Key Discussion Points:
🔹 The Power Divide: We compare the distribution of powers between the Federal/Union government and the provinces/states in both countries, highlighting why India's Constitution allows for the creation of new states through a simple majority, while Pakistan's process is extremely difficult, requiring two-thirds majority in all relevant assemblies.
🔹 Federal Institutions: A deep dive into the upper houses: India's Rajya Sabha (representation based on population) versus Pakistan's Senate (equal representation for all provinces).
🔹 Fiscal Federalism (NFC vs Finance Commission): Comparing the fiscal independence of provinces. We reveal that Pakistan's provinces receive 57.5% of the divisible pool under the 7th NFC Award, significantly higher than what Indian states receive from their Finance Commission, and discuss why the 28th Amendment may target the NFC formula.
🔹 The Local Government Crisis: The episode starkly contrasts India's constitutionally mandated 73rd and 74th Amendments (ensuring local government structure and a State Finance Commission) with the repeated failure of Pakistani provinces to genuinely devolve power to the third tier.
🔹 The Way Forward for Pakistan: As Pakistan considers constitutional reforms, what practical and political lessons can be learned from India, especially regarding making the federation less 'lopsided' and promoting equitable economic development through new provinces and strengthened local governance? The panel argues for political consensus and a move away from 'parochial considerations' to make the federation truly functional and beneficial for the common citizen.

Don't miss this crucial analysis of federal dynamics and the path to better governance in Pakistan!

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