Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Functional Committee on devolution and standing committee on inter-provincial coordination have unanimously recommended that the secretariat of Council of Common Interests (CCI) should be established as an independent body and not under any ministry.

A joint meeting of the senate functional committee on devolution and Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination was held under the chairmanship of Senator Kabir Ahmed Shahi and Mushahid Ullah Khan.

Both committees discussed the matter regarding the establishment of permanent secretariat of CCI, in connection with the statement made by the Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination, Riaz Hussain Pirzada in the Senate on 22 December 2016. The committee recommended that in the CCI secretariat all provinces should be represented through their nominated officials. The chair of CCI secretariat should be given to the provinces on a rotary basis.

The allocation of funds for the CCI Secretariat should be made separately. It should be envisaged according to the spirit of 1973 Constitution and 18th amendment. The CCI Secretariat also set its annual calendar for meetings. The committees recommended that parliament also has to pass an act regarding CCI. These recommendations would be submitted in the upcoming session of the Senate, which is scheduled to be held on 9 January. Senator Shahi complained there was no progress regarding the Inter-provincial and CCI issues in the last two years.

The Minister for IPC Pirzada briefed the committee and said that the Prime Minister’s Secretariat was not a hurdle before the establishment of the CCI Secretariat. He said that the IPC only functioned as a coordinating ministry. He also proposed that the CCI Secretariat goes to the PM Secretariat.

Nadeem Hassan Asi, Secretary Cabinet Division, informed the panel that the federal cabinet will approve the summary of establishing a CCI Secretariat in the next meeting. He said in the Secretariat all provinces would be given representation and that the Chairman of the CCI is the Prime Minister and Chief Minister of the Provinces were its members.

Members of PPP Senator Sassui Palijo, Taj Haider, Aajiz Dhamrah, Senators of MQM Tahir Mashhadi, Muhammad Ali Saif, Senator Usman Kakar and Senator Nisar Muhammad opposed the CCI Secretariat under the ministry of the IPC. Senator Mashhadi said that the Constitution of Pakistan clearly stipulated the establishment of a separate CCI Secretariat and making it under IPC ministry was a violation of the constitution.

Senator Palijo said that the government initiative was making CCI controversial as the government recently did. She blamed Secretary to Prime Minister Fawad Hussain Fawad, Finance Secretary Dr. Waqar Masood and Muhammad Ali Gardazi for these incorrect decisions.

Ministry of IPC Secretary, Raja Nadir Ali said that the CCI would not fall under the Ministry but be a part of it.