RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The federal government is in the process of appointing two new members of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and a decision in this regard is expected to be taken in the upcoming meeting of the federal cabinet.

Sources told Business Recorder here on Tuesday that six candidates have been short-listed for the positions that had been advertised in the last week of September 2018. The positions had fallen vacant with the completion of terms of two CCP members in the end of 2017. Sources informed that Finance Minister Asad Umar gave a go ahead to call the short-listed six candidates for interview. After their interviews, the names of two candidates shall be sent for the cabinet’s approval on coming Thursday.

Meanwhile, the current CCP chairperson and two members have resumed their duties after obtaining stay orders against their terminations from the Islamabad High Court. They had been terminated by the federal cabinet in its meeting on October 4, 2018.

Accepting their writ petitions for further hearings, the IHC suspended the operation of their termination notifications and directed them to resume duties till next date of hearing in December 2018. The court has directed the federal government to submit detailed reply in this regard.

Sources said that the CCP is fully functional and is approving mergers, conducting inquiries and issuing show cause notices. During the last meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs, the special secretary finance informed the committee that the appointments of the chairperson as well as members of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) falls under the ambit of federal government as per law and accordingly approvals of the government were granted at the level of prime minister from time to time. After the Mustafa Impact Judgment, in which the federal government was defined as federal cabinet, keeping in view the administrative difficulties in light of the judgment, the appointments in the financial sectors were made by the finance minister with the approval of the prime minister in exercise of the powers delegated by the federal cabinet.

In response to a query raised by the committee regarding delegation of powers to the finance minister, representative of Law Division said that since the Mustafa Impact Judgment it has been clearly defined that the federal government means federal cabinet, therefore, the collective wisdom could not be transferred to an individual. At that juncture, the special secretary finance apprised that after seeking legal opinion of the Law Division, all the appointments made under the said delegated powers were cancelled. The committee showed its satisfaction on the statement given by the special secretary finance and disposed of the matter.