National Consultation on the Constitution for All

August 12, 2025 SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

The Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), in collaboration with UN Women and the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) of the National Parliament, successfully hosted the National Consultation on the Constitution for All on August 12th, 2025, at its Auditorium in Islamabad. The high-level consultation brought together members of the National Women Parliamentary Caucus, constitutional experts, gender advocates, and civil society representatives to explore pathways toward an inclusive and equitable constitutional order.

The programme commenced with welcome remarks by Mr. Asim Khan Goraya, Executive Director, PIPS, who welcomed the participants and thanked the partners. He highlighted the importance of women’s inclusion at the national helm, as well as the importance and role of institutions in promoting diversity and inclusivity. Following this, Hon. Dr. Shahida Rehmani, Secretary, Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, delivered her opening remarks. Moderated by Ms. Samer Awais, Director General PDP&C at PIPS, alongside parliamentary expert Mr. Zafarullah Khan and Dr. Muhammad Fahd Amin, Assistant Professor at Quaid-i-Azam University, the event provided a platform for insightful exchange and collaborative dialogue.

The first thematic session, Engendering the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, featured a presentation by Mr. Zafarullah Khan, who outlined how constitutional interpretation and implementation can be made more gender-responsive. He examined existing provisions safeguarding women’s rights, highlighted enforcement gaps, and stressed the need to mainstream gender equality in state policies. This was followed by the keynote speech of Hon. Barrister Aqeel Malik, Minister of State for Law and Justice, commended the efforts and underscored the government’s commitment to gender justice, constitutional equality, and inclusive legal reforms, reaffirming policy efforts to ensure the Constitution serves all citizens, particularly women and marginalised communities.

The central Panel Discussion: Gender Responsive Constitutional Reforms – The Way Forward brought together prominent parliamentarians, including Hon. Barrister Sofia Saeed, Hon. Saira Afzal Tarrar, Hon. Shahida Begum, and Hon. Dr. Shahida Rehmani. The discussion addressed the current responsiveness of the Constitution to gender equality, shared personal legislative experiences, and explored strategies for gender audits of constitutional provisions, civil society engagement, and amplifying women’s voices in reform processes.

A dynamic question-and-answer session enabled participants to engage directly with speakers, followed by a plenary segment to consolidate inputs and key recommendations. These recommendations, drawn from diverse perspectives, emphasized strengthening institutional collaboration, embedding gender considerations into constitutional interpretation, and ensuring equitable participation in legislative processes.

In the closing session, Mr. Jamshed M. Kazi, Country Representative, UN Women, and Mr. Jeroen Willems, Head of Cooperation, European Union, shared their reflections on the consultation’s significance for advancing gender-responsive governance. Hon. Dr. Shahida Rehmani delivered the vote of thanks, commending all stakeholders for their valuable contributions.

The consultation reaffirmed PIPS’ and WPC’s shared commitment to creating an inclusive constitutional framework—one that upholds the principles of equality, justice, and democratic participation for all citizens. By fostering dialogue across parliamentary, legal, and civil society spheres, the event marked a meaningful step towards a more representative and socially responsive constitutional order in Pakistan.

On the direction of the Chairman Senate/President PIPS Board of Governors, the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), has implemented a comprehensive set of measures aimed at ensuring fiscal discipline, operational efficiency, and responsible utilization of public resources, on the same lines as notified and adopted by the Senate and National Assembly Secretariats.

Under the new measures, the Institute has adopted a four-day working week (Monday to Thursday), while introducing a hybrid working model whereby 50% of staff will perform duties from the office and 50% will work remotely on a rotational basis. Employees working from home will remain fully accessible through digital communication platforms and may be required to report to the office on short notice, ensuring uninterrupted institutional functioning.

Significant steps have also been taken to promote energy conservation. These include a target of achieving up to 70% reduction in energy consumption through minimizing unnecessary use of electricity and ensuring that official meetings, trainings, and events are scheduled during daylight hours. Foreign tours are banned and international meetings are being held virtually.

In the transport section, PIPS has introduced strict measures to curtail expenditure and 70% official vehicles have been grounded as part of this initiative.

As part of broader austerity efforts, 20% reduction has been imposed on the non-ERE budget for the fourth quarter of the current financial year. The officers drawing a monthly salary of PKR 300,000 or more, shall surrendered two days salary or 5% to 30% salary on gross as per Federal Government decision.

The Institute has also discontinued all non-essential procurements with immediate effect. Official functions such as dinners and receptions will not be hosted, except in the case of visiting foreign delegations, and even then, strictly in accordance with austerity protocols.

These measures have been implemented with immediate effect and will remain in force until further orders.

Under the guidance of President PIPS Board of Governors, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, PIPS remains fully committed to maintaining its core functions of parliamentary support, capacity building, and research while contributing proactively to national austerity and sustainability goals.

National Consultation on the Constitution for All

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