{
  "id": 14621975,
  "title": "Lawmakers seek probe into Rs2.6tr expenditure made by Centre on devolved ministries",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/lawmakers-seek-probe-into-rs2-6tr-expenditure-made-by-centre-on",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-15T05:28:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2037180/lawmakers-seek-probe-into-rs26tr-expenditure-made-by-centre-on-devolved-ministries"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Lawmakers in Pakistan are demanding a probe into the federal government's allocation of Rs2.6 trillion to education and health ministries that were devolved to provinces in 2010, questioning the legality of the spending over the past 16 years. The issue was discussed during a meeting of the subcommittee of the Senate Functional Committee on Devolution, chaired by Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro. The panel argued that the spending violates constitutional provisions and constitutes a misallocation of taxpayers' money. They emphasized that the central government is constitutionally prohibited from funding subjects that are no longer part of its direct legislative mandate under the 18th Amendment. The committee chairman expressed frustration that the required information was not submitted within the given timeframe and stressed that only federal subjects are authorized for public expenditure, with public funds belonging to the people. The committee also questioned the proposed privatisation of power distribution companies, highlighting that electricity distribution and related matters fall under provincial jurisdiction.",
  "summary": "ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers have sought a probe into a staggering Rs2.6 trillion expenditure by the federal government on education and health ministries devolved in 2010, questioning the constitutional basis of the spending over the last 16 years. The issue was raised in a meeting of the subcommittee of the Senate Functional Committee on Devolution, which was chaired by Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro.…",
  "key_points": [
    "Lawmakers demand probe into Rs2.6 trillion expenditure on devolved ministries.",
    "Spending violates constitutional provisions, deemed misallocation of taxpayers' money.",
    "Central government prohibited from funding subjects not part of its direct legislative mandate."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The demand for a formal inquiry challenges the federal government's authority to fund provincial sectors, potentially reshaping how constitutional boundaries and taxpayer resources are managed under the 18th Amendment.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}