To acquaint the Newly Elected Honourable Members of Gilgit Baltistan Assembly with the Parliamentary processes and legislative procedures, Parliamentary Development Programme wing of Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) designed an orientation programme comprising interactive and knowledge sharing sessions on themes of Parliamentary and procedural interest, engaging the senior Parliamentarians and seasoned secretariat leadership.
On February 8th 2021, the said programme was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Honourable Mr. Asad Qaiser, Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan. He emphasized that the newly elected Members should not only learn the Rules of the Procedure in the House as their first priority but also pursue their legislative and development agenda since day one. He also shared success stories from his personal experiences; discussing in details the probable hindrances and possible hardships faced by the Members at the hands of bureaucracy and administrative branches vis-à-vis procedural and structural challenges. He also stressed that Members have periodically monitor and pursue the progress and performance reports of relating tasks.
Honourable Syed Amjad Ali Zaidi, Speaker GB Assembly, on the behalf of GB Assembly, expressed his gratitude to Honourable Asad Qaiser and Mr. Muhammad Anwar for conducting this orientation programme as an opportunity for the newly elected Honourable Members to learn Parliamentary processes. He hoped that the takeaway from these sessions shall stay with the participants throughout their Parliamentary tenure and beyond.
Mr. Muhammad Anwar, Executive Director PIPS, welcomed the Honourable Members and officers from Gilgit Baltistan Assembly at PIPS and was of the view that the participants shall have a lot to learn from worthy resource persons. He presented the overview of the said orientation programme; its nature, scope and methodology, with the participants. He also expressed PIPS’s ever readiness and offered institute’s services in any spectrum related the functioning of the Assembly any time in the future.
In the latter half of the day, Mr. Muhammad Mushtaq, Additional Secretary National Assembly of Pakistan, conducted a session on the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Government of Pakistan’s Gilgit Baltistan Order 2018. He focussed upon salient features of the Constitution as the most supreme social contract between the citizens and the state. Also, he discussed in detail the GB Order so the participants could better understand the powers granted by this order and the resulting responsibilities. The last session of the day explored the Evolving Parliamentary Forums such as Women Parliamentary Caucus Pakistan. In discussion with Syed Shamoon Hashmi, Additional Secretary National Assembly of Pakistan, Honourable Munaza Hassan, MNA and Secretary WPC shared the scope of WPC and her experiences as a women majority leader in the House. She emphasized that success of such initiatives depend upon cooperation across the party lines, and rising above the personal/pretty motives. Mr. Hashmi was of the view that Members don’t have to look here and there for work plans on some particular subject; they are already provided in their respective parties’ manifestoes. The day witnessed the firm resolve of participants—demonstrated through peculiar questions and lively discussion—to benefit from the experiences and traditions of the Parliamentary performance in the country and beyond.