Islamabad, Aug 5: The Senate Functional Committee on Devolution convened to deliberate on the efficacy and possible expansion of the Council of Common Interests (CCI). The committee discussed issues with CCI’s revised petroleum reserve exploration guidelines, which have discouraged billion-dollar investments from businesses.
The committee questioned the accountability framework and stated that CCI is not answerable to the Senate Functional Committee. The meeting was informed that the CCI, which presently employs 23 people out of the necessary 38, has 15 open positions. There are still vacancies in roles like deputy secretary and joint secretary.
Described as a federal cabinet-style body, the CCI keeps an eye on ministries under the federal legislative list and supervises outstanding disputes between provinces. Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro accused the bureaucracy of being careless and piling on difficulties for other people. He also mentioned that there are still 15 open positions at CCI, and 13 people are on deputation.The committee asked the Ministry of Law and Justice for its assessment on the situation and demanded performance updates from CCI officials.
