The Cabinet was further informed that CCI in its meetings held on July 2, 2013 and March 18, 2015 had directed IPC Division to initiate proposals for strengthening the CCI and establishing its permanent secretariat. The sources said the Governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and Baluchistan had also recommended the setting up of a permanent Secretariat of CCI with provincial representation; and that the Senate of Pakistan in its Resolution No 263 of May 19, 2016 had urged the Federal Government to establish a permanent Secretariat of the CCI.
According to sources, the Cabinet was apprised that in a summary for the Prime Minister, the IPC Division had proposed renaming the Ministry of IPC as "Ministry of IPC and CCI Secretariat". Finance and Establishment Divisions had endorsed the establishment of a permanent secretariat for the CCI and IPC Division was directed by the Prime Minister's Office to resubmit the case after consulting the Law & Justice Division, which endorsed the proposal to locate the permanent Secretariat of CCI in the Ministry of IPC.
The Cabinet was briefed that the requirements of human resource as well as budget including salaries and allowances for the proposed CCI Secretariat would be met out of the existing staff strength of the Ministry of IPC, while budgetary requirements for additional technical staff, if agreed to, would be met through supplementary grant.
In terms of rule 16(1)(j) of the Rules of Business 1973, approval of the Cabinet was solicited for the establishment of a Permanent Secretariat of the Council of Common Interests (CCI). After a detailed discussion, the Cabinet decided that the Ministry shall be renamed with a view to reflecting its functioning as CCI Secretariat. Secretary Cabinet and Secretary, IPC shall meet to decide the new name and subjects to be allocated to the Ministry and place these proposals before the Cabinet in its next meeting.