A joint meeting of Senate Functional Committee on Devolution and Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Co-ordination unanimously recommended to immediately establishing an independent and permanent secretariat of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to resolve the issues of federating units with the federation.
Senators Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi and Mushahid Ullah Khan jointly chaired the joint meeting of the two committees at the Parliament House on Tuesday. The committees discussed the issue regarding the establishment of permanent secretariat of the CCI.
Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Senators Taj Haider, Sassui Palijo, Nisar Muhammad, Colonel Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi (Retd) and Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Secretary Cabinet Nadeem Hassan Asif and others attended the meeting.
The joint meeting recommended establishment of an independent secretariat of the CCI headed by representatives of provinces on a turn by turn basis. It recommended strengthening the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Co-ordination instead of dissolving it. However, the members of the committees said that prime minister would chair the meetings of the CCI.
Chairman Functional Committee on Devolution Muhammad Shahi said that no CCI secretariat is a violation of the Constitution. He said that many years have been passed but secretariat of the CCI could not be established. He said that it is constitutional obligation of the federal government to establish a permanent secretariat of the CCI.
He said that slot of head of the CCI secretariat should be rotated among the provinces. He said that Parliament should make legislation for establishment and functioning of the CCI secretariat.
Senator Taj Haider said that head of the CCI secretariat should be appointed for two years. He said that section of every sector of Legislative List-II eg railways, electricity, regulatory authorities, mineral oil and natural gas, etc, should be established in CCI secretariat. Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi said, "First of all we should follow the Constitution by establishing the CCI secretariat." Senator Barrister Saif said that the CCI secretariat should be a part of the Prime Minister Secretariat. He said that purpose of CCI secretariat should be formulating policies and enforcing the province to implement them.
Senator Sassui Palijo said that Constitution explains about the establishment of the CCI secretariat. She said that the Upper House of the Parliament has already approved a resolution for holding meeting of the CCI. Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Raiz Hussain Pirzada said that establishment of the CCI secretariat is constitutional matter and the government cannot ignore it.