Cooperative Federalism in Pakistan: The Role of the Council of Common Interests (CCI)

Abstract

This study critically analyses the role played by the Council of Common Interests (CCI) in creating an environment of cooperative federalism in Pakistan during the period September 2012 to September 2021, with emphasis on how consistent with the constitutional mandate, the CCI has operated in these areas. Constitution organized in Articles 153 and 154, the CCI is a congress of great significance that acts as a federal coordination body but with responsibility for governing intergovernmental relations, most especially in respect to enumerated subjects in the Federal Legislative List (Part II). Using a qualitative, discourse-based analysis, the research examines the legal make-up, frequency of meetings, and central thematic agendas, as well as institution-related challenges for the CCI during the indicated period. The outcomes indicate that the CCI contributed substantially to helping resolve complex federal issues such as management of water resources, distribution of energy, health policy, management of education, and population census disputes. Although the 18th Constitutional Amendment, among other measures, considerably improved the mandate and institutional design of CCI, its effectiveness has been blunted by irregular meeting calendars, gaps in implementation, and politics. Though faced with many challenges as a result of the eclectic organization of the CCI it was dissolved and then reformed after a year; it also operates outside the realm of the law with Mandate vested in all members at the same level as they participate in town and country-wide meetings the CCI has grown to occupy a vital space as an agency for fostering consensus and conflict reconciliation in Pakistan’s federal ordering. Based on the discussion above, the paper finds that the long-term effectiveness of CCI depends on continued political engagement, procedural changes, and “institutionalization” of transparent mechanisms.