KARACHI, Dec 15: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has directed the inter-provincial coordination department to prepare a comprehensive report on the national finance commission case and other issues between Sindh and bordering provinces so that these could be taken up at an appropriate forum, it has been reliably learnt.

The chief minister issued the directive in a meeting with Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Makhdoom Jamil-uz-Zaman after Secretary Maula Bukhsh Khatian briefed them over the performance and requirements of his department.

Besides guidelines for Sindh’s NFC case, narcotics smuggling and crossing of provincial borders by car snatchers and other outlaws, and water needs for wheat sowing season came under discussion, sources said.

Following the meeting, the sources said, Mr Jamil-uz-Zaman summoned a department meeting for Tuesday after the cabinet’s meeting to discuss the important matters related to inter-provincial coordination.

An insider of the department confided to Dawn that there were over 70 issues pending unresolved between Sindh and the federation and with its bordering provinces, Punjab and Balochistan. Their resolution was only possible if the inter-provincial coordination department was activated and the constitutional institution like the Council of Common Interests was formed.

In the meeting called by the minister, early constitution of the CCI would be taken up in light of the guidelines given by the chief minister so that a strong case could be prepared for Sindh, which the chief minister could take up with the prime minister.