LAHORE: Orders to prepare for the Council of Common Interests meeting to be held on Monday during the next four days, including Ashura Muharram holidays, irked many an official of various departments concerned in Punjab and other provinces.

Those not required to work for the meeting scheduled to be held in the prime minister’s office are nevertheless happy because of the four holidays they will enjoy from Thursday (today).

“Working on holidays has never been an issue. But traditionally no one works on 9th and 10th Muharram,” an official said, adding, “I am unable to understand how can I ask my staff to attend office during these days”.

He said various departments were required to prepare summaries according to the agenda of the CCI meeting in all the provincial governments and the reaction of officials against the direction to work during the next four days, including the Ashura holidays, was the same everywhere.

Other officials concerned said that reaching offices on ninth and 10th of Muharram would itself be a problem for the middle and lower-raking staff because of the curfew-like conditions around the Civil Secretariat. There would be no mobile service, making communication impossible, they added.

The administrative secretaries of the departments concerning law and order and the chief secretary would be concentrating on Muharram security which was a matter of top concern for the state, they said, adding that would make it difficult for them to prepare summaries for the meeting.

The agenda of the 39th CCI meeting includes higher education in post-18th amendment scenario, allocation of 1,200 cusecs additional water to Karachi (K-IV Project), resolution of energy problems of Balochistan and enhancement of absorption capacity, short supply of water in Pat Feeder and Kirther Canals, implementation of Kazi Committee Methodology for calculation of net hydel profit, post-devolution issues relating to Employees Old-age Institution and Workers Welfare Fund, amendment of Petroleum (exploration and production) Policy 2012, import of liquefied natural gas (LNG), harmonisation of standards and enforcement mechanism between Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority and provincial food authorities, task force to streamline regulatory functions of the federal government and launching of the national cleanliness drive.

The federal ministries involved in the meeting include education and professional training, water resources, energy (power division), planning development and reform, water resources, overseas Pakistanis, human resource development, science and technology, interior and inter-provincial coordination.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2018