Madam Speaker/President PIPS Board of Governors Dr Fehmida Mirza was pleased to constitute a seven member PIPS parliamentary delegation, which visited the King Projadhipok’s Institute, KPI, Thailand, during April 25th to 29th, 2011 with the support of our invaluable partner, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, KAS. Mr Aftab Shaban Mirani, Member, National Assembly of Pakistan, led this first ever study visit by a PIPS delegation, which helped the institute to develop invaluable insights with regard to working and challenges of a quality parliamentary institution.
The King Projadhipok’s Institute, KPI, Thailand, was established in 1998 and it is one of the models, which was considered during the feasibility study for setting up the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services. The PIPS parliamentary delegation comprising members of the PIPS Board of Governors and senior officials fully utilized the opportunity for holding significant discussions with the KPI Secretary General Prof Dr Borwornsak Uwanno and Deputy Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Woothisarn Tenchai, to lay a strong foundation for a sustainable relationship between KPI and PIPS. The PIPS delegation took up the same with Mr Chai Chidchob, President of the National Assembly of Thailand and President of the KPI Governing Council, who endorsed the efforts towards a formal partnership between PIPS and KPI. The delegation also held bilateral talks with Chairpersons and members of foreign affairs committees of the Thai Senate and House of Commons, who expressed their satisfaction that KPI-PIPS collaboration, would bring the two parliaments together.