Islamabad, January 14: PILDAT has facilitated the formation of a Democracy Assessment Group with the objective to carry out an objective assessment of the performance of democracy in Pakistan using an international framework. The first meeting of the Democracy Assessment Group (DAG) was held at PILDAT Offices on January 13, 2010.

The Democracy Assessment Group (DAG) will steer the Annual Assessment of the Quality of Democracy in Pakistan by representing the diversity of Pakistan�s society. The Group is assisted by PILDAT research team. The DAG members include Dr. Akbar Zaidi, Development Economist; Mr. Cyril Almeida, Analyst; Mr. Ghazi Salahuddin, Columnist; Dr. Hasan-Askari Rizvi, Defence and Political Analyst; Dr. Ijaz Shafi Gilani, Chairman Gallup Pakistan; Mr. Javed Hafeez, former Ambassador; Mr. Javed Jabbar, former Senator and Federal Minister; Dr. Khalida Ghaus, Executive Director SPDC; Prof. Mohammad Waseem, Academician; Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Moinuddin Haider, former Governor; Mr. Mujib-ur-Rehman Shami, Analyst and Editor-in-Chief Daily Pakistan; Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Secretary General, PML; Ms. Nasim Zehra, Analyst and Anchor; Dr. Parvez Hassan, Lawyer; Mr. Rahimullah Yusufzai, Analyst; Ms. Saima Mohsin, Anchor; Sardar Khalid Ibrahim, Advocate; Mr. Sartaj Aziz, former Senator and Federal Minister (PML-N); Mr. Shahid Hamid, former Governor; Ms. Sherry Rehman, MNA, PPPP & former Federal Minister; Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Talat Masood, Analyst and former Federal Secretary; Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, Executive Director PILDAT and Ms. Aasiya Riaz, Joint Director PILDAT

As an indigenous organization working to strengthen democracy and democratic institutions, PILDAT has been carrying out a performance assessment of democracy and Parliament in Pakistan on an annual basis using its own format. It has now undertaken the task of annual assessment of democracy using an international criterion for the assessment of democracy. The objectives of assessment are to that since democracy is restored in Pakistan, the society must strive to improve and strengthen it. It is a collective responsibility that democracy must deliver and succeed; poor quality of democracy may disappoint people and may lead to yet another failure and �derailment� of democracy. The PILDAT initiative is an effort to make democracy deliver and work. The assessment process is a tool to promote democratic reform. It is not meant just to assess the Government alone but assess the entire society. How democratic is the country or society as a whole of which the government is a part.

The PILDAT Democracy Assessment initiative does not end at commentary or analysis. The process is directed at identifying and lobbying for reforms using the collective influence of the Democracy Assessment Group. The initiative seeks to open a dialogue with the government before the results are made public in order to hear their side of the story and incorporate it and establish their ownership on the proposed reforms.

PILDAT sought and received partial support of the Foundation for the Future in carrying out the assessment of democracy.