Reviewing order: Apex committee in Sindh reconstituted

First meeting since July 25 elections will be held on Dec 6

KARACHI: The Sindh government has reconstituted the apex committee of the province and finalised names of its members before its meeting on December 6. The committees are formed in all provinces to implement the National Action Plan.

According to a notification issued by Services General Administration and Coordination Department, the chief minister would chair the committee meeting.

The 16 other members of the committee include works and services senior minister, parliamentary affairs minister, chief minister adviser, Sindh chief secretary, home secretary, Karachi corps commander, Rangers director-general, Police inspector-general (IG),  advocate-general, prosecutor-general, Karachi commissioner, counter-terrorism department additional IG, Inter-Services Intelligence, ISI sector commander, sector commander (9202 survey) and Intelligence Bureau joint director-general.

Soon after the notification was issued, there were reports in media saying that the name of Sindh governor was removed from the apex committee.

However, the spokesperson for Sindh government refuted the news and said, “Governor has never been a member of the apex committee. Governor was invited as a special guest till Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan was in the office. After his [Ebad’s] retirement, no one has invited governor to the meeting,” he said adding, “After the new government, which came to power a while ago, it was mandatory to issue the notification.”

Likewise, two former governors of Sindh, Justice (R) Saeeduzzaman and Muhammad Zubair have also not been part of the committee. The spokesperson further said that the committee has been reconstituted because Pakistan Peoples Party has been in power for the consecutive third time and the course of operation had to be reviewed.

The changes were not made to include or exclude anyone, they said, adding that Sindh Interior Secretary Qazi Kabeer and Sindh IG will give briefing on the Chinese Consulate attack and improved measures for security of embassies in the upcoming session of the committee. The committee session has been called at chief minister house on December 6.

As per the speaker, the committee’s session will take place at chief minister house on December 6 and will review the law and order situation of the province.

The committee will also review progress on the National Action Plan. This is the first session of the committee after the July 25 general elections and subsequent formation of the federal and the provincial governments.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2018.