As a diverse federal republic, Pakistan has witnessed several attempts at consensus-building throughout its history, as well as a sustained resistance to the imposition of a centralised will. What can the creation of the Council of Common Interests teach us about the importance of maintaining Pakistan’s federal structure? How was a seemingly-impossible consensus reached on landmark pieces of legislation such as the 18th or 25th Amendments? How essential has this consultative process been for the smooth functioning of the country?
In this session, Tabadlab will seek to explore how the 18th Amendment was conceived and executed. What is the ideal framework for achieving consensus in a federation as diverse as Pakistan and what have we learnt from our past experiences? Perhaps most importantly, why does federalism keep returning as a point of contention in Pakistani governance and politics despite having settled on a method?
Featured Panelists
Ahsan Iqbal
Member of the National Assembly
Mushtaq Ahmad Khan
Member of the Senate of Pakistan
Afrasiab Khattak
Political Activist and Former Senator
