SINDH Governor Kamran Khan Tessori deserves credit for taking initiative to host the first Governors’ summit affording opportunity to the Governors of the provinces to mull over not only their roles and responsibilities but also discuss ways and means to strengthen national unity and solidarity. Encouraged by the positive outcome of the Karachi moot, the participants announced to hold the second summit in Lahore besides organizing an international governors’ conference.
As per the constitutional scheme of things, Governors are supposed to be representing the federation in the province and play their role in strengthening the federation and promoting harmony between the federating units and the centre. No doubt, in a parliamentary democracy, the Chief Minister is the executive head of the province and all powers flow from him/her but still some Governors proved very effective and remained instrumental throughout their tenure focusing on promotion of national causes. The summit did not elaborate further but emphasized the need for enhancing the Constitutional role of the governors, a proposition that can be given due consideration by the lawmakers and constitutional experts. However, we believe, there is nothing that prevents the Governors to remain relevant and play a crucial role in upholding the constitution and rule of law as well as devoting their energies towards the cause of the common man. However, for this to happen, Governors will have to shun the tendency of becoming the mouthpiece of the political parties they hail from as this fundamentally goes against the spirit of the Constitution itself. It has also been observed that some governors, instead of promoting harmony and solidarity, engaged in negative practices including leg pulling of the provincial chief minister and the provincial government in line with the political designs of their political parties. Similarly, at times, they delayed signing of the legislation passed by the provincial assembly not on merit but mainly on political considerations. There have also been demands that like the office of the President, Governors should also be elected and this idea, along with other issues, may be thoroughly considered by the next moot of governors.
