ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) hosted a two-day workshop in Islamabad for members of the Parliamentary Reporters Association of Pakistan (PRAP) on Parliamentary Proceedings and Budget Processes, said a press release.
This workshop, approved by Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, aimed at equipping journalists with the financial and technical knowledge needed to effectively report on the Budget Process and House Proceedings, and to refresh their understanding of parliamentary ethics and media coverage procedures.
The workshop featured speakers including veteran parliamentary reporter Hafiz Tahir Khalil, Special Secretary National Assembly Muhammad Mushtaq, Special Secretary National Assembly Secretariat Syed Shamoon Hashmi, former Chairman PEMRA and journalist AbsarAlam, Director of the Finance Ministry Adnan Azeem, Director General of Media National Assembly Secretariat Zafar Sultan Khan and journalist Shehbaz Rana, among others.
Sessions focused on the role of parliamentary reporters in ensuring responsible, transparent, and ethical reporting, detailed the stages and technical aspects of the annual budget, and emphasized the importance of maintaining the dignity of the Parliament while reporting from the Press Gallery.
The speakers shared anecdotes and engaged in interactive discussions, using case studies from various democratic countries to illustrate the roles, limitations, and responsibilities of parliamentary reporters.
Additionally, contemporary issues and challenges faced by Parliamentary Reporters and Media Representatives were discussed in detail during Q&A sessions. International best practices were also examined to address these challenges.
PRAP President Usman congratulated the National Assembly Secretariat and PIPS for organising this informative and interactive workshop.
The concluding session was honoured by Chief Guest State Minister for Finance Ali Pervaiz Malik.
He highlighted the federal government’s commitment to overcome all challenges faced by the country especially on economic front, emphasising that the upcoming budget would reflect those priorities. He stressed the importance of comprehensive budget reporting to provide the public with a complete picture and linked the country’s inclusive socioeconomic progress to collective efforts.
At the end of the training session, certificates of appreciation were awarded to the workshop participants.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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