Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services held a one-day seminar on Constitution, Parliament and Nation Building, to celebrate democracy day on Wednesday Sept 10, 2025. The event began with a national anthem followed by recitation of holy Quran. Ms. Fakiha Mahmood, Deputy Director (Research) moderated the event. Mr Asim Khan Goraya, Executive Director PIPS, speaking on the occasion encouraged 85 members of the young leaders Parliament, to work hard and learn democratic values of tolerance, human rights for all especially service to humanity.

Mr. Asim Khan Goraya, Executive Director, PIPS welcomed the participants and thanked Chief Guest Honorable Senator Mirza Muhammad Ali Afridi for gracing the occasion with his presence. He underscored the significance of the event especially in the context of young leaders who have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of democratic institutions. He encouraged young leaders to develop a meaningful purpose of life in order to secure a progressive future for the country. He urged them to carefully observe the key principles of our constitution that teach us magnanimity and patience in the face of dissenting voices. He also forewarned them about the multifaceted challenges that the young leaders are to confront including the frictions in global politics, climate change, and structural challenges.

Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi being Guest of Honour eulogised team PIPS for holding such an inspiring seminar at a short notice. He called upon youth to always reflect love for their country as Pakistan is a blessing of God for all of us and we need to voluntarily prepare to serve and lead it. He expressed sorrow over the destruction caused by recent flooding and cautioned about the grave consequences of climate change especially in the context of food security, if swift actions are not taken. He deplored how our agriculture land is deteriorating due to climate change and stressed the need for mapping and zooming for optimal agricultural productivity.

Mr. Muhammad Rashid Mafzool Zaka, Director General (Research), PIPS conducted a two hour insightful sesssion on the constitution, its salient features and the working of the Parliament. He apprised the participants about the significance of constitution as a social contract between the state and its people. Drawing insights from history, he informed how the founding father of the Nation ‘Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’ envisioned a onstitution that reflected inclusivity. He highlighted the rights of the citizens under the constitution while also underlining the duties that citizens owe to the state. He informed the participants about the devolution of power and the distribution of resources under NFC among the federating units. Mr. Abdul Nabi Solangi, Deputy Director (Legislation) briefed the participants about the legislative process and services. He shared different types of legislative instruments such as bills acts and ordinances.

In a dedicated Question & Answer session the participants engaged with the speakers various constitutional provisions and the significance of parliamentary democracy. Their queries reflected keen interest and a desire to gain a deeper understanding of parliamentary affairs. Mr. Zaka, emphasized that the youth of the country must embrace and practice the democratic principle of “agreeing to disagree,” a value upheld by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Mr. Navid Ahmed, President YLP expressed his sincere gratitude to the PIPS team for organizing a memorable seminar. He noted that such initiatives not only broaden their understanding but also provide useful insights into how parliament functions. He further acknowledged that every visit of their delegations to PIPS proves to be a rich source of knowledge and learning, leaving a lasting impact on the participants as PIPS is really a centre of excellence. Mr. Asim Khan Goraya presented a set of PIPS Publications to chief guest while YLP presented shields to Honourable Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi and the Executive Director, PIPS Mr. Asim Khan Goraya followed by a group photo. The session concluded with the one voice slogan – PAKISTAN ZINDABAD! Ms. Fakiha Mahmood, Deputy Director (Research) and Ms. Kulsum Wazeer Assistant Director (Legislation) moderated the event.