Ayaz advocates more connectivity, fostering co-operation among legislatures

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that enhancing connectivity and fostering close co-operation among national legislatures is pivotal for strengthening democratic institutions.

The speaker expressed these views, while chairing a meeting of Secretaries’ Conference regarding finalising the agenda of 18th Speakers’ Conference at Parliament House on Wednesday.

The speaker highlighted that the inclusion of provincial representatives in international delegations would allow them to gain valuable insights into best parliamentary practices worldwide.

He emphasised that the 18th Speakers’ Conference, set to be held after a lapse of a decade, would provide an opportunity for legislators from all provincial and legislative assemblies to collaborate and develop a shared strategy.

He stressed the importance of knowledge-sharing and cooperation among national legislatures and encouraged provincial and legislative assemblies to establish liaison mechanisms to enhance connectivity and promote digitalisation. He also urged the need for training and legislative capacity-building to ensure meritocracy.

Sadiq also emphasised the establishment of an Association of Whips to foster greater cooperation among legislators. He also called for expanding the role of the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), urging it to serve as a cornerstone for legislative development and capacity-building. He also urged the formation of an Association of Secretaries comprising provincial and legislative assemblies to enhance coordination and facilitate the exchange of knowledge. He also recommended the holding of regular meetings among secretariats and parliamentarians from federal, provincial, and legislative assemblies to benefit from shared experiences and best practices.

The speaker underlined the need for uniformity in legislative processes and the importance of bridging existing gaps between legislatures.

Furthermore, Speaker Sadiq commended the efforts of provincial and legislative assemblies in institutionalizing and supporting his vision for parliamentary caucuses and forums. He emphasised the importance of regular interactions between the conveners and presidents of parliamentary caucuses, provincial executives, and governors to enhance unity and curb political polarisation.

The Secretaries’ Conference focused on finalising the agenda for the 18th Speakers’ Conference.

During his address, the Chair of the Secretaries’ Conference, NA Secretary General Tahir Hussain warmly welcomed the participants. He also praised the efforts of all participants for developing a shared and uniform strategy for proactive parliament.

The NA secretary general also stressed that there is a need to provide one consensus-based platform. He proposed to form secretaries association to meet after every three months to review the implementation of the decisions taken in the Speaker’s Conference.

The Secretaries’ Conference deliberated upon agenda items of 18th Speakers’ Conference to be held from 18th December to 20th December 2024 in Islamabad. The agenda items include: Constitutional issues involving the legislatures, institutional reforms and revisiting practice and procedure of assemblies, matters related to Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS), Common Wealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and other administrative issues. The participants of the conference put forth suggestions and their proposals for finalising the agenda of 18th Speakers’ Conference.

The conference was attended by Syed Hasnain Haider, secretary Senate; Kifayat Ullah Khan Afridi, secretary of the provincial assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Ghulam Muhammad Umar Farooq, secretary general of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh; Tahir Shah Kakar, secretary of the provincial assembly of Balochistan; Abdul Razzaq, secretary of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly; Basharat Hussain, secretary of the Legislative Assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir; Khalid Mehmood, DG Parliamentary Affairs and Research Punjab Assembly; Muhammad Rashid Mafzool Zaka, executive director PIPS, and other distinguished delegates.

The senior officers from the National Assembly Syed Shamoon Hashmi special secretary, Muhammad Mushtaq advisor/special secretary legislation, and Saeed Ahmad Maitla principal secretary to speaker/additional secretary admin and other senior officer of National Assembly were also present in the conference.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024