Successive Pakistani govts violate Constitution by delaying CCI meetings

Successive Pakistani governments have repeatedly violated Article 154(3) of the Constitution by failing to hold timely meetings of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), a critical body for resolving federal-provincial matters.

Research conducted by Nukta reveals that successive administrations, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), caretakers and the current coalition, have breached the law 20 times over the last 14 years.

Article 154(3) mandates that the CCI meet at least once every 90 days.

Research shows that the PTI government violated the Constitution six times during its three-and-a-half-year tenure, while the PML-N did so eight times during its five-year term. In comparison, the PPP government breached the Constitution three times between 2008 and 2013.

On Monday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to convene a meeting of the council, expressing criticism over the delays.

"Failure to convene CCI meetings violates the Constitution and affects provincial economic affairs," Gandapur said, urging immediate action to address provincial grievances.

Consequences of delays

The CCI oversees development funds, resource allocation, and center-province cooperation. Its irregular meetings hinder policy formulation and exacerbate federal-provincial tensions.

Since 2010, the council has convened 40 times instead of the required 56. These delays impact resource-sharing and regulatory matters, such as water distribution managed by bodies like the Indus River System Authority.

Over the past 14 years, at least 20 violations have been recorded due to such delays. No CCI meeting has been held since the current government took office.

A meeting scheduled for July was postponed twice, and only two meetings have occurred in the last 34 months.

Constitutional mandate

The CCI was created to strengthen federalism, ensuring equitable policymaking and conflict resolution. Its 90-day meeting requirement aims to provide a regular platform for addressing disputes and managing devolved powers.

It is the highest forum for formulating and regulating policies on interprovincial and federal matters.

The Constitution mandates the council to meet every 90 days to address these issues. However, successive governments have repeatedly violated this constitutional requirement. Even when provinces raised concerns or lodged complaints, meetings were delayed.

The Shehbaz Sharif government has twice bypassed the CCI, disregarding Sindh's concerns. First, it overlooked the province's objections to undemocratic amendments in the Irsa law. Then, it resisted Sindh's demand to address its grievances over the Cholistan Canal project at the CCI forum.