The government has finally convened a meeting of Council of Common Interests (CCI) after nine months against the Constitutional requirement of ninety days to take up important issues including a request by Balochistan government for purchase of up to 20 per cent shares in Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), OGDCL and SSGCL at their face value under the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan.
As per sub-clauses 2 and 3 of Article 154 of the Constitution, the Council has to be constituted within thirty days of the Prime Minister taking oath of office and it would have a permanent Secretariat and would meet at least once in ninety days. The government has not complied with the constitutional requirement to hold CCI meetings once in every three months to settle issues between federation and provinces.
An official said that the last CCI meeting was held on 29 May 2014 and since then the CCI meeting has been scheduled for a couple of times in recent months but did not take place for reasons best known to Minister for Inter-Provincial Co-ordination (IPC) and Prime Minister's Secretariat. He said that now the CCI meeting has been scheduled for March 18 to take up a 14-point agenda of which seven points have been suggested by the IPC and rest by other ministries and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
The IPC has moved a summary of Balochsitan government to the CCI with respect to the purchase of up to 20 per cent shares of PPL, OGDCL and SSGCL at their face value (instead of an open market basis). Sources further added that the meeting would review the status of important decisions of its meeting held on 29 May 29. The CCI would consider the following Ministry of IPC proposals: (i) allocation of water for Islamabad/Rawalpindi, and inquiry into corruption charges of katchi canal; (ii) purchase of up to 20% of the right shares of PPL, OGDCL and SSGCL at their face value under the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan; (iii) sixth population and housing census; (iv) permanent absorption of federal employees transferred to provincial governments in the wake of the 18th Constitutional Amendment; (v) public debt management and supervision policy; (vi) Pakistan Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation (PEEC) Bill, 2014 and (vii) amendment in the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 for restoration of Executive Magistracy.
Cabinet Division would submit National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) annual report for 2012-13 and State of Industry report 2013 to the CCI for consideration. The CCI would also consider a proposal of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government regarding amendment in the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Act, 1992 (deferred in the last meeting of CCI). The meeting would also take up a proposal of Cabinet Division with respect to Pakistan Oil (Refining Blending, Transportation Storage and Marketing) Rules.
Ministry of Petroleum has also put up proposals to the CCI on Shale Gas Interim Framework for the pilot projects, Liquefied Petroleum Gas production and distribution policy 2014 and draft summary amendment in Petroleum Policy 2009 and 2012 and Model Petroleum Concession Agreement. Ministry of Science and Technology has submitted a draft bill for the establishment of the Pakistan Halal Authority (PHA) Bill, 2014 to the CCI for approval.
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