ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for IPC, Dr Fehmida Mirza has dismissed as unconstitutional and baseless the allegations levelled by Sindh Minister Saeed Ghani that she submitted a tampered report to the CCI, in a letter written to Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani.

"The undersigned would like to invite your attention towards the comments offered by the Provincial Minister Sindh, Saeed Ghani on the floor of the Sindh Assembly on June 25, 2020, in the presence of the Chief Minister. The Minister alleged that Dr Fehmida Mirza, former Speaker National Assembly, and presently Federal Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC), submitted a tampered report to the Council of Common Interest (CCI)-The views/comments of the Provincial Minister are unconstitutional, baseless, having no nexus with reality and a deliberate attempt to damage the credibility of a constitutional forum i.e. CCI and malign the Federal Minister. In this context, it is not out of place to mention here that the National Institutions should not be held hostage to politics and their supremacy and sanctity should not be compromised. Mr. Saeed Ghani has violated the Rule 220, Sub-Rule 3 Farad of the Rules of Procedure of the Sindh Assembly by leveling baseless aforesaid allegations against the Federal Minister who is a public office holder and is unable to defend herself in the Sindh Assembly and was thus condemned unheard," the letter dated July 8, 2020, reads, which surfaced on Saturday.

"The Provincial Minister has committed a default of Rule-5, Sub-Rule-9 read with schedule-3 Rule-4 of Rules of Procedure of the Council of Common Interest by breaching confidentiality of its record. Furthermore, the factual position has been maliciously misrepresented," the letter said.

The letter requests the Sindh Assembly speaker to ensure that in the future, "such willful disregard of rules and irresponsible statements about the sanctity of the proceedings of a constitutional body are not repeated."

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020