Legislative, Financial, And Administrative Shifts Under Pakistan’s 18th Constitutional Amendment

Abstract

The 18th Constitutional Amendment, passed in 2010, stands as a landmark reform in Pakistan’s political history, aimed at decentralizing power and enhancing provincial autonomy. This amendment significantly altered the country’s constitutional framework by repealing the 17th Amendment, which had concentrated executive power in the hands of the President, and by enhancing the powers of the provinces, as enshrined in the 1973 Constitution. The primary objective of the 18th Amendment was to empower provinces, thereby promoting a more balanced federal structure. The study explores how the amendment has influenced the relationship between the federal government and the provinces, with a particular focus on the areas of legislative powers, financial resource distribution, and administrative control.