Constitutional Amendments and the Evolving Balance Between National Unity and Provincial Autonomy in Pakistan

Saima Butt; Irsa Hafeez; Kulsoomelia Shigri

doi:10.63056/academia.5.3.2026.2229

Authors

Dr. Saima Butt Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, The University of Faisalabad, Pakistan Author
Irsa Hafeez LLM (Scholar), Department of Law, The University of Faisalabad, Pakistan Author
Kulsoomelia Shigri LLM (Scholar), Department of Law, The University of Faisalabad, Pakistan Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63056/academia.5.3.2026.2229

Keywords:

Province, federation, provincial autonomy, constitutional amendment, legislative list, institutional power, National Finance Commission, Council of Common Interests

Abstract

The constitution of 1973 of Pakistan provides country`s federal structure which has impacted Pakistan’s national unity and provincial autonomy through its evolution and revision in its amendments for forming effective and balanced federalism. It analyzed Pakistan’s Constitutional Amendments and different Articles and its judicial precedents under the Supreme Court of Pakistan, using a doctrinal legal research method. The findings highlighted those pivotal reforms in 18^th amendment has strengthened provincial autonomy by abolishing the concurrent legislative list and expanding governance at provincial level. However, the repeated constrains in implementation of constitutional frameworks have raised inter-provincial disputes over fiscal resources and institutional power. The result concluded that fostering an inclusive and stable approach towards resolving inter-provincial and federal-provincial disputes through National Finance Commission (NFC) and Council of Common Interests (CCI) to align provincial rights and national unity.