08-IIR Monitor August 2020 2209020.Cdr
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INTER-INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS IN PAKISTAN A P I L D A T M O N T H L Y M O N I T O R August 2020 CONTENT Prime Minister Convenes 42nd Meeting of Council of Common Interests Prime Minister Imran Khan's Phone Call with Mr. Bill Gates Federal Government releases its 2-Year Performance Report Another FATF-related Law SC Directs NDMA to Clean Karachi Navy Sailing Club remains Sealed Senate Defence Committee Visits NCOC Supreme Court Questions NAB Prime Minister chairing 42nd CCI Meeting Un-elected Advisors can not Perform Executive Functions: IHC Prime Minister Convenes 42nd Meeting of Council of Corps Commanders' Conference Common Interests COAS Interactions with Foreign Dignitaries COAS Visits KSA On August 6, Prime Minister In discussing other matters relating to New CEO PSM convened 42nd meeting of the Council water distribution, the CCI referred of Common Interests (CCI) where the the issue of appointment of chairman New Secretary Defence CCI has set the deadline of one month of the Water and Power Development Egypt Court slaps 15 Years Prison Sentence for for fair apportionment of water Authority and other ofcers to the Criticizing Al-Sisi 1 2 according to the Water Accord 1991. federal cabinet. Thailand Pro-Democracy Protests The CCI meeting was informed that The CCI also agreed to the request of This monitor is meant to identify key based on the recommendations of the the Government of Punjab for developments during the month on Inter- Attorney General for Pakistan, a handing over control of lower portion Institutional Relations in Pakistan with committee comprising technical of Chashma Right Bank Canal from selected high-prole international experts of federal and provincial Ministry of Water Resources to the developments included occasionally. For the purpose of this monitor, the institutions are governments has been notied to Government of the Punjab. The CCI meant to be the Legislature, Judiciary and look into the issue of fair distribution constituted a committee comprising Executive. of water among provinces. The CCI representatives of IRSA, Government directed the committee to complete its of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in work in one month. The CCI was also this regard to work out modalities and apprised on progress of installation of nalize bilateral agreement between Pakistan Institute of Legislative Telemetry System. the two provinces in this regard. Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development And Transparency Development And Transparency Islamabad Office: P. O. Box 278, F-8, Postal Code: 44220, Islamabad, Pakistan Lahore Office: P. O. Box 11098, L.C.C.H.S, Postal Code: 54792, Lahore, Pakistan 1. PMO (2020, Prime Minister Imran Khan today chaired 42nd meeting of Council of Common Interests. Available at: https://pmo.gov.pk/press_release_detailes.php?pr_id=3564 (Accessed 31 August 2020). E-mail: [email protected] | Website: www.pildat.org 2. Raza, I. (2020) CCI agrees on distribution of water resources in a month. Available at: https://www.dawn.com/news/1573050 (Accessed 02 September 2020). 2 August 2020 Reportedly, the CCI unanimously approved Alternative & prepared in this regard to be placed before the next CCI Renewable Energy Policy 2019. 3 meeting. The CCI also deliberated on the amendments proposed by Implementation status of decisions of 41st meeting of CCI the Government of Sindh in the Oil & Gas Regulatory was reviewed during the meeting. The PMO reported that the Authority Ordinance 2002, and the Ministry of Petroleum Government's strategy to Combat Covid-19 was was tasked to explore the possibility of providing provinces appreciated by the CCI. with a suitable mechanism to give their input to the regulatory body. On another agenda item, it was agreed by It was in the August 2020 meeting that the CCI nally the CCI that fty per cent (50%) share of the receipts approved placement of Annual Reports for the years 2017- collected under the head Windfall Levy on Crude oil, 18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 before the Senate and National condensate & natural gas under Petroleum Policy, 2012, will Assembly.4 be shared with the concerned province. On the sidelines of the CCI Meeting, Prime Minister also met In a related development, in a detailed presentation on with 4 Chief Ministers annual demand and supply situation of gas with special reference to future requirements and dwindling domestic Prime Minister Imran Khan's Phone Call gas reserves, the CCI was informed that the country would with Mr. Bill Gates face major gas shortage by winter 2021-2022. It was recommended that a national consensus needs to be built for major push for new exploration and production, The PMO reported that on August 11, Prime Minister Imran conservation of domestic gas and rationalization of price Khan spoke to Mr. Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda mechanisms to avoid impending crises. The meeting was Gates Foundation, to discuss the latest situation on COVID- 19 response and resumption of Polio vaccination campaigns informed that Federal Government is organizing a summit 5 of industry experts to discuss various options to meet this in Pakistan. impending challenge and requested the provinces for their active participation Acknowledging the Gates Foundation's continued support to Pakistan, including on COVID-19 response, Prime Minister Another agenda under consideration at the CCI was the noted that the “re-purposing of Polio infrastructure played future role and functioning of National Commission for an important role in COVID-19 response.” The two also Human Development (NCHD) and Basic Education discussed “how using existing structures that are supporting COVID-19, such as the National Command Operation Community Schools (BECS). According to the PMO, it was 6 decided, in principle, to transfer the existing NCHD and Center, could help support Polio eradication efforts.” BECS schools, teachers and students from Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training to Education On August 15, the DG ISPR tweeted that Chief of Army Staff, Departments of respective Provinces/Regions. It was also General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Mr. Bill Gates also spoke agreed that this process will be completed before closing of on the phone where Mr. Gates conveyed appreciation for Pakistan Army for supporting national polio drive and the current nancial year, by June 30, 2021. The CCI also 7 directed that that a transition and integration plan should be ensuring proper reach and coverage. 42nd meeting of CCI has set the deadline of one month Acknowledging the Gates Foundation's continued for fair apportionment of water according to the Water support to Pakistan, including on COVID-19 response, Accord 1991. The CCI was apprised on progress of Prime Minister noted that “re-purposing of Polio installation of Telemetry System and directed committee infrastructure played an important role in COVID-19 comprising technical experts of federal and provincial response.” They discussed “how using existing structures governments to look into the issue of fair distribution of that are supporting COVID-19, such as the National water among provinces to complete its work in one Command Operation Center, could help support Polio month. eradication efforts.” 3. PMO (2020, Prime Minister Imran Khan today chaired 42nd meeting of Council of Common Interests. Available at: https://pmo.gov.pk/press_release_detailes.php?pr_id=3564 (Accessed 31 August 2020). 4. PMO (2020, Prime Minister Imran Khan today chaired 42nd meeting of Council of Common Interests. Available at: https://pmo.gov.pk/press_release_detailes.php?pr_id=3564 (Accessed 31 August 2020). 5. PMO (2020) Prime Minister Imran Khan's Phone Call with Bill Gates. Available at: https://pmo.gov.pk/press_release_detailes.php?pr_id=3575 (Accessed 31 August 2020). 6. PMO (2020) Prime Minister Imran Khan's Phone Call with Bill Gates. Available at: https://pmo.gov.pk/press_release_detailes.php?pr_id=3575 (Accessed 31 August 2020). 7. DG ISPR (2020) 15 August. Available at: https://twitter.com/OfficialDGISPR/status/1294491591906861059 (Accessed 02 September 2020). August 2020 3 Progress on National Security and National Action Plan The 208 pages report, available on the website of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting8 provides ministry-wise overview of initiatives taken and their progress during the two years. Even though Editor's Note of the report states that “All Ministries and Divisions of Federal Government have contributed in development of this report,” the report includes progress from 43 Ministries, Divisions and Boards, overview of the National Security Division is conspicuous by its absence from the report.9 It must be noted that only in December 2019, Prime Minister has appointed Dr. Moeed W. Yusuf as Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning, with the status of Minister of State. It must also be noted that during his second year in ofce, Prime Minister Mr. Imran Khan has convened and chaired just one (1) meeting of the National Security Committee, which is a sharp decline of 83% in contrast to his rst year in ofce when he had convened and chaired six (6) meetings of the NSC. The National Security Division (NSD) was formed in 2013 to serve as the secretariat of the NSC. The report also does not include any progress from the crucial National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) which has been assigned and entrusted with the role of monitoring Federal Government releases its 2-Year body of the National Action Plan (NAP). The administration Performance Report of NACTA has been oscillating between Ministry of Interior and the Prime Minister Ofce since 2009 when it was created The PTI-led Federal Government under Prime Minister Imran as an Administrative Wing within the Ministry of Interior. Khan completed two of its 5-year term on August 17, 2020. However, in 2013, NACTA was granted administrative and nancial autonomy answerable to a Board of Governors While many independent analyses evaluating performance 10 of the government were shared widely on media and social (BOG) headed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan.