ISLAMABAD: The prolonged delay in convening meetings of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) has once again raised concerns over repeated violations of the constitution.
More than a year has passed without a meeting of the CCI, while only one meeting has been held during more than two years of the current government. Under Article 154 of the Constitution, the CCI is required to meet at least once every 90 days. Its last meeting was held on April 28, 2025.
According to sources, successive governments, including those led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as well as the caretaker and current coalition governments, have repeatedly failed to convene meetings within the constitutionally mandated period. Sources said the caretaker government held only one meeting during its six-and-a-half-month tenure, while the current coalition government has also held only one meeting during its tenure so far.
Since 2010, a total of 41 meetings of the Council of Common Interests have been held. However, meetings were not convened within the required 90-day period on 21 occasions, resulting in repeated constitutional violations.
According to sources, the constitution was violated six times during the three-and-a-half-year tenure of the PTI government, eight times during the five-year tenure of the PMLN government from 2013 to 2018, and three times during the PPP government from 2010 to 2013 because of delays in holding CCI meetings.
During the PTI government, 11 meetings of the Council of Common Interests were held. The PMLN government held 16 meetings between 2013 and 2018, while 11 meetings were held during the PPP government from 2010 to 2013.
Under the current government, the prime minister serves as chairman of the CCI, while the chief ministers of all four provinces are members. Other members include Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Minister for States and Frontier Regions Amir Muqam.
