Federal Minister for IPC, Dr. Fehmida Mirza has written a letter to Speaker Sindh Assembly regarding unjustified behavior of Provincial Minister Sindh, Mr. Saeed Ghani on the floor of the Sindh Assembly on June 25, 2020 in the presence of the Chief Minister Sindh. The Minister alleged that Dr. Fehmida Mirza, former Speaker National Assembly, and presently Federal Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) submitted a tampered report to the Council of Common Interest (CCI).
As per the letter written to Speaker Sindh Assembly, the views/comments of the Provincial Minister are unconstitutional, baseless, having no nexus with reality and a deliberate attempt to damage the credibility of a constitutional forum i.e. CCI and malign the Federal Minister. In this context, it is not out of place to mention here that the National Institutions should not be held hostage to politics and their supremacy and sanctity should not be compromised. Mr. Saeed Ghani has violated the Rule 220, Sub-Rule 3 Para-d of the Rules of Procedure of the Sindh Assembly by leveling baseless aforesaid allegations against the Federal Minister who is a public office holder and is unable to defend herself in the Sindh Assembly and was thus condemned unheard.
The Provincial Minister has committed a default of Rule-5, 6 and 10 read with schedule-3 of Rules of Procedure of the Council of Common Interest by breaching confidentiality of its record. Furthermore, the factual position has been maliciously misrepresented. The CCI in its meeting held on September 24, 2018, constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of the Federal Minister for IPC on the devolution of the Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and Workers Welfare Fund to the provinces. The Committee provided opportunity of hearing to all the stakeholders i.e. Provinces, representative bodies of employers and employees, and the Finance Division of the Government of Pakistan. The subject report was prepared and the same was circulated to the members of the CCI prior to its meeting on December 23, 2019. None of the members, especially the Chief Minister Sindh is on record to have raised any objection whatsoever to the said report. It is worth mentioning that the Members are entitled to vote either in favor or against any issue raised before the CCI, and the Minister IPC has no overbearing executive role over its functioning.
Dr. Fehmida Mirza had the privilege of working as the First Elected Woman Speaker of the National Assembly and my services and contributions towards strengthening of democracy and constitutional forums have been recognized and acknowledged nationally and internationally.
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