ISLAMABAD - The federal government has not yet been able to make the Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC) functional after passing two months, as this body has to submit its final report in 90 days.
The body’s fourth member has also yet not been nominated by the government side to at least call introductory meeting to decide its working.
The government’s alleged negligence in this matter has made MQM to become part of the combined opposition to jointly give tough time to government in and outside the parliament, background discussions with MQM senior members have left this impression.
The committee was mainly formed to address the reservations of MQM regarding the Rangers-led operation in Karachi.
“We (MQM) have almost joined combined opposition parties to jointly give tough time to the government on its negligence on different matters,” said MQM’s Ali Raza Abidi while talking to The Nation.
The MQM would raise this matter in the parliament as the body has not started its working. “This committee was to submit its report in 90 days but still it is dysfunctional,” he said adding that MQM believes in real opposition in parliament.
When contacted, MQM’s Waseem Akhtar said that the government should have at least started working of GRC. “The government’s negligence on this important matter is not understandable,” he said.
Sources said that PPP and PTI had also contacted MQM’s parliamentary leader to join hands with them to work as combined opposition. PPP will also support MQM against the government’s alleged slackness in starting the committee working.
MQM, in last National Assembly session, had also supported PPP and PTI for registering strong protests over the absence of ministers during the question-hour.
According to a notification, the GRC was to hold its first session within 15 days of its constitution and complete its work on the complaints within 90 days.
The federal government had issued this notification on October 16 to form a five-member GRC that was given the mandate to register and resolve the concerns raised by MQM.
The MQM, a couple of days before, had also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government on the formation of GRC to look into their complaints and furnish its report to the federal government.
The committee comprised Justice (r) Nasir Aslam Zahid, Justice (r) Khalilur Rehman and Justice (r) Ajmal Mian, interior secretary and an ex-officio member of the committee.
The sources said that MQM’s senior member Farooq Sattar had also asked finance minister Ishaq Dar to at least start working of the body.