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Framework to enforce ‘Principles of Policy’ in the making

Ansar Abbasi
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2025

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to introduce a framework on the implementation of “Principles of Policy” as envisaged in the Constitution by introducing key performance indicators for all government institutions to improve the lives of people from all segments of the society.

A high-level cabinet committee under Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has been constituted to make the framework with a clear roadmap for all government institutions to ensure that the rights of people as pledged in the Constitution are delivered.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, the secretary human rights and the additional secretary cabinet are members of the cabinet committee formed in the last week of December 2024.

Ahsan Iqbal told The News that following his recommendation, the federal cabinet established the Cabinet Committee on Observance and Implementation of Principles of Policy in relation to the affairs of the federation.

The “Principles of Policy” as per the Constitution deals with the state institutions’ commitment to providing Islamic way of life, promotion of local government institutions, discouragement of parochial and other similar prejudices, full participation of women in national life, protection of family, protection of minorities, promotion of social justice and eradication of social evils, promotion of social and economic well-being of people, participation of people in armed forces and strengthening bonds with the Muslim world and promoting international peace.

Ahsan said that in the past, there had been no clear framework or roadmap for the implementation of these policies. The government now intends to formulate a clear strategy for implementation of these policies, generally ignored in the past.

The terms of reference of the committee are (i) To review the current framework for the preparation of the annual report on “observation and implementation of Principles of Policy in relation to the affairs of the federation” to be laid before the Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament) for the purpose of identifying its deficiencies and inadequacies; and (ii) To derive an appropriate framework to transform these reports into a meaningful and comprehensive tool that effectively evaluates the performance of the ministries in relation to the constitutional provisions on the Principles of Policy.

According to the Constitution, it is the responsibility of each organ and authority of the state, and of each person performing functions on behalf of an organ or authority of the state, to act in accordance with those principles in so far as they relate to the functions of the organ or authority. The Constitution also envisages that in respect of each year, the president in relation to the affairs of the federation, and the governor of each province in relation to the affairs of his province, shall cause to be prepared and laid before each house of the parliament, as the case may be, the provincial assembly, a report on the observance and implementation of the Principles of Policy, and provision shall be made in the rules of procedure for discussion on such report.