The Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee met on Monday with Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani in the chair.
Several issues pertaining to the federation and provinces were discussed and the restoration of the executive judiciary topped the agenda. Speaking on the restoration of the executive judiciary, Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmood Khosa said, “The draft bill on restoration of executive judiciary should be expedited since that it is indispensible for effective price control”.
The other provinces agreed on the proposed draft and held that Section-143 of the CrPC should be amended with the consent of all provinces. The Interior ministry had forwarded the bill to the Law and Justice Division for vetting. The ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination also accorded full support to the proposal. The meeting discussed the implementation of the Industrial Regulation Ordinance, 2011. The Punjab Labour Secretary presented the case and said that after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the subject rested with the provinces and the federation could no longer legislate on the subject. He further said the government could legislate only on international treaties and agreements. Bijarani decided to refer the issue to the Council of Common Interest (CCI).
The supply of opium seized by law enforcing agencies in Lahore was also discussed. The Punjab chief secretary said that new customs regulations banned the supply of opium and he directed the burning of the seized opium supply. He said the FBR should have amended such regulations and that some amount of opium should have been supplied to the government of Punjab so it could keep manufacturing the medicine for drug addicts.
The meeting discussed the issue of employees’ regularisation in devolved ministries. The KP chief secretary said the KP Establishment Department was facing problems regarding absorption of employees from the federal government. They had been sent to provinces without a budget and deputation allowance could not be extended to them.
KP Information and Public Relations Minister Iftikhar proposed changes in the constitution of the Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee. He said since all chief ministers were usually unable to attend IPCC meetings due to other important engagements, therefore provincial ministers for Inter-Provincial Coordination should be made members of the committee.
