Islamabad: August 23, MNAs joining PILDAT Briefing Session on �Citizen�s Ideas of Reforms to Strengthen the National Assembly of Pakistan� demanded that reforms to strengthen National Assembly of Pakistan must be put in place urgently. Endorsing PILDAT proposals for reforms, developed through a decade of PILDAT�s experience of legislative strengthening in Pakistan, MNAs said that the time to institute legislative reforms is now when the term of the 14th National Assembly has just begun.

A set of reform proposals to strengthen the National Assembly of Pakistan were shared through the PILDAT paper titled Proposed Reforms to Strengthen National Assembly of Pakistan at the session.

Speakers at the Briefing Session included Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Quershi, MNA, Deputy Parliamentary Leader of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI); Sahibzada Tariq Ullah, Parliamentary Leader Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Molana Ameer Zaman, MNA, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal ur Rehman (JUI-F), Hafiz Tahir Khalil, Resident Editor, Daily Jang, Islamabad and Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President, PILDAT. A large number of MNAs and civil society personalities attended the briefing.

Speaking at the Briefing Session, Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President of PILDAT stressed on the proposed reforms to Strengthen National Assembly of Pakistan. He said that based on PILDAT observation of the parliamentary procedures and practices for the last 11 years, PILDAT has proposed a set of reforms which need to be urgently implemented to strengthen National Assembly. The proposed reforms include Increasing �Actual� Working Days of Assembly (13th National Assembly actually worked for 103 days per year compared to the constitutional requirement of 130 days); Prime Minister�s increased Presence in the House; introduction of a PM Question Time; Adherence to the Parliamentary Calendar; enhanced Punctuality & Decorum; Strengthening of Parliamentary Committees; Increasing the duration of budget debate from the present 12 days (average of the past 12 years) to about 45 days (Indian Lok Sabha budget process extends to 75 days) and allocating a part of this time to the scrutiny of the budget proposals of various ministries by the relevant standing committees; Operationalisation of the recent amendment in the assembly rules of procedure to allow the parliamentary committees to review the ministries budget before it is formally presented; provision of Office Space for Assembly Members; Increase in the Question Time; Televised Question Hour by all TV channels (and not just PTV); Recruitment and Promotion of Assembly Staff strictly on merit; Creation of a Parliamentary Service; Greater Public Access & Transparency of National Assembly records such as the Attendance of MNAs and their voting records; Encouragement & Facilitation of greater coordination between the Assembly and Think-Tanks; More effective Capacity-building and Orientation courses for MNAs and the Parliamentary Staff.

Addressing the Briefing Session, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Quershi, Deputy Parliamentary Leader of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) stressed the need of Ministers�� presence and participation in the Assembly proceedings especially during the Question Hour. He was of the view that the Government�s performance is badly affected if the ministers are absent from the Assembly during sessions. He further said that Pakistan�s parliamentary system lacks Conflict of Interest legislation and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has decided to introduce this legislation in Khyber Pakhtun Khawa Assembly very soon. Endorsing PILDAT proposals for reforms, he said that the proposals indeed are a result of PILDAT�s continuous liaison with MNAs belonging to all parties over the past decade.

Speaking at the Briefing Session Molana Ameer Zaman, MNA, JUI-F thanked PILDAT for organising the briefing session for Parliamentarians and for highlighting National Assembly�s weaknesses. He emphasised on the need to implement the laws already present in Pakistan. Mr. Zaman reiterated that Prime Minister of Pakistan should be present during all sittings of the National Assembly. He asked that there is also a dire need that the Ministers should ensure their attendance in the Assembly so that National Assembly�s working is further strengthened.

Representing Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) at the Briefing Session, Mohammad Salman Khan Baloch, MNA, (NA-239, Karachi-I, Sindh, MQM) said that there is a capacity to further improve the number of working days in NA. He said that Prime Minister should be available to MNAs for their concerns. Agreeing with PILDAT�s suggestions, he said that the Question Hour in National Assembly should be extended to about 2 Hours. He confirmed that Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) supports the implementation of all the proposed reforms.

Parliamentary Leader of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Sahibzada Tariq Ullah said that MNAs should stress on implementation of proposed reforms presented by PILDAT. He proposed that the MNAS should present these proposals in the house and ask the Speaker to introduce these reforms. He added that the Parliamentary Leaders should also be present in National Assembly during all sittings of the National Assembly. He emphasised that Parliamentary Calendar should be strictly followed by the National Assembly and Speaker of the National Assembly should ensure punctuality among MNAs during NA sittings. He also suggested that National Assembly should appoint and promote staff on the bases of their qualification and experiences and not on the basis of personal preferences. Recruitment on merit basis should be ensured, added Mr. Tariq Ullah. He suggested that senior Parliamentarians should present the PILDAT reforms to the Speaker for implementation through a resolution.

Speaking about the role of Media and Parliamentary Reforms in the National Assembly Hafiz Tahir Khalil, Resident Editor, Daily Jang, Islamabad said that scandals like Steel Mills Case, NLC case, Royal Palm Golf Club case are few examples which were highlighted by Media and taken by Supreme Court. He added that Media as a national organ has never committed contempt against any state institution including the Parliament of Pakistan. He added that most of the Members of the National Assembly use about 90 % of the Privilege Motions for highlighting their personal grievances. He stressed that point of Orders in National Assembly should be used to highlight only where rules are not being followed.

Many of the Members of the National Assembly at Briefing Session agreed that Privilege motions in the Assembly are used extensively and without any public welfare purpose. Members of the National Assembly at the briefing session also agreed that Question Hours should be meaningful and Ministers and Head of Departments should be present during the Question Hour of the Assembly. They suggested that duration of the Question Hour in the National Assembly should be extended from one hour to about two hours. They stressed that Follow up of the Questions Answers showed be arranged properly by the Secretariat of the Assembly. They demanded that a continuous feedback mechanism on Questions must be introduced and that concerned Ministry and Minister should be answerable to all the questions asked by Members. It was suggested that MNAs should take National Assembly rules of Procedures very seriously and must familiarise them with these rules.

Participants at the Briefing Session also suggested that MNAs should be provided offices in Islamabad. It was proposed that timings of the session should be fixed for specific hours daily and number of days should be extended as much as possible. It was emphasised that all MNAs should spare time to participate in the debate on all legislations, be their focus of discussion in favour or against that bill, but remarks of all MNAs should be recorded on each bill at the floor of the House.

A large number of MNAs, Media representatives, and parliamentary Staff attended the Briefing Session. Members of the National Assembly who attended the Briefing Session included Mr. Sher Akbar Khan, MNA (NA-28, Bunair, KPK, JI), Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, MNA (Women Reserved Seat, Gujranwala, Punjab, PML-N), Mr. Iftikhar ud din, MNA (NA-32, Chitral, APML), Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, MNA (NA-130, Multan III, Punjab, PTI), Ms. Rida Khan, MNA (Women Reserved Seat ,Lahore, Punjab, PML-N), Mr. Shahibzada Tariq Ullah, MNA (NA-33, OLD UPPER Dir, KPK, Jamat-e-Islami), Moulana Ameer Zaman, MNA (NA-263, Loralai, Balochistan, JUI-F), Mr. Shahab ud din Khan, MNA (NA-44, Tribal Area-IX, Bajaur Agency, PML-N), Ms. Aliya Kamran, MNA (Women Reserved Seat, Quetta, Balochistan, JUI-F), Mr. Shahbizada Muhammad Yaqub, MNA (NA-34, Lower Dir, Jamat-e-Islami), Ms. Phyllis Azeem, MNA (Women Reserved Seat , Sialkot, Punjab, PML-N), Ms. Aaisha Gulalai, MNA (Women Reserved Seat Peshawar, KPK, PTI), Mr. Shehryar Afridi, MNA (NA-14, Kohat, KPK, PTI), Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, MNA (Women Reserved Seat, Sialkot, Punjab, PML-N), Mr. Salman Khan Baloch, MNA (MQM), Ms. Shahida Akhtar Ali, MNA (Women Reserved Seat , Lakkimarwat, KPK, JUI-F), Ms. Marriyum Aurangzeb, MNA (Women Reserved Seat, Rawalpindi, Punjab, PML-N), Ms. Aisha, MNA (Women Reserved Seat, District Swat, KPK, Jamat-e-Islami), Ms. Sabiha Nazir, MNA (Women Reserved Seat, Bhawalpur, Punjab, PML-N), Ms. Amra Khan, MNA (Women Reserved Seat , Lahore, Punjab, PML-N), Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq, MNA (Women Reserved Seat, Federal, PML-N), Mr. Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan, MNA (NA-82, Faisalabad VII, Punjab, PML-N), Ms. Kiran Haider, MNA (Women Reserved Seat , Quetta, Balochistan, PML-N), Ms. Asyia Naz Tanoli, MNA (Women Reserved Seat , Rawalpindi, Punjab, PML-N), Ms. Naeema Kishwar Khan, MNA (Women Reserved Seat, Mardan, KPK, JUI), Mr. Khalil George, MNA (Quetta, Balochistan, PML-N), Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, MNA (Tharparkar, Sindh, PML-N), Mr. Ali Muhammad Khan, MNA (NA-10, Mardan-III, KPK, PTI) and Mr. Zahid hussain, MNA (NA-166, Pak Pattan-III, Punjab, PML-N).

Other eminent persons who participated in the Briefing Session included Mr. Riaz Hussain Khokhar, Former Foreign Secretary, Mr. Wazir Ahmed Jogezai, Former Deputy Speaker, National Assembly, Mr. Ayaz Wazir, Former Ambassador, Ms. Huma Chughtai, Former Director Research, National Assembly, Dr. Abrar Ahmed, Advisor SDPI and Brigadier (Retd.) Said Nazir.

PILDAT has commissioned a paper �Proposed Reforms to Strengthen National Assembly of Pakistan� and distributed it among the participants of the Briefing Session. PILDAT acknowledges support of FES (Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Pakistan Office) for publishing of the paper, as well as organizing the briefing session on �Citizens Ideas to Propose Reforms to Strengthen National Assembly of Pakistan�. PILDAT evaluates the performance of the National Assembly on an annual basis and publishes the performance evaluation reports every year and a combined report for the full term of the Assembly.