LAHORE, July 1: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Pervaiz Rashid has said the federal government has unconstitutionally taken over control of provincial autonomy granted under the Constitution.

“Unfortunately, the federal government failed to grant autonomy to provinces under the Constitution and was trying to create hurdles in its implementation,” he said in a statement here on Friday.

He said the federal government was destroying the real spirit of provincial autonomy. He said only 40 of 160 institutions were given to provinces whereas the remaining 120 were retained by the federal government to maintain its control over their assets and income of billions of rupees.

Rashid said the federal government in violation of the Constitution usurped worker welfare institutions, hospitals, tourist centres and evacuee properties whereas as per provincial autonomy granted under the Constitution all these institutions should be under the control of provinces.

He said the issue of complete autonomy to provinces would be raised at the Council of Common Interests meeting and the Supreme Court would be moved if the issue was not solved. He said the ‘illegal’ control of federal government over the provincial autonomy would not be tolerated at all.