Provincial Autonomy under the 18th Amendment in the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan

Dr. Toheeda begum; Yusra Aliya; Brigadier Dr. Muhammad Naeem Akbar Qazi

Dr. Toheeda begum Lecturer department of History and Pakistan Studies SBBWU Peshawar
Yusra Aliya BS Pakistan Studies from Shaheed Benzair Bhutto Women University, Peshawar
Brigadier Dr. Muhammad Naeem Akbar Qazi PhD Graduate from Minhaj University Lahore

Abstract

The 18^th amendment is a landmark achievement in the history of Pakistan, representing a major shift towards greater provincial autonomy and a stronger parliamentary system. The Eighteenth Amendment, which had a significant impact on Pakistan's constitutional history, was a big step towards giving the provinces full legislative, administrative, and financial autonomy. The amendment has enhanced the legislative authority of the provincial assembly on economic issues, including taxation and foreign borrowing. It has also given provinces ownership and participation in the administration of natural resources, in addition to policymaking. The rights of the nation are effectively protected by Pakistan's Eighteenth Amendment, which also grants sovereignty to the provinces. The goal of the study is to analyze the reasons behind the important amendments made to Pakistan's 1973 constitution (18th Amendment) in 2010, which had a significant impact on provincial autonomy in the country.

Keywords: Devolution, Autonomy, Provincial autonomy, Concurrent list, Constitution