Lahore, October 31; In a Joint Briefing Session for MPAs of Balochistan and Punjab on �Promoting Inter-Provincial Understanding�, MPAs of the two provinces stressed for Strengthening Parliamentary Committees System for a more effective oversight role of the Government in their respective legislatures here in Lahore today. Speakers at the Briefing Session included Honourable Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, of Honourable Agha Syed Liaqat Ali, MPA (PB-8-Pishin-I, PkMAP), and Mr. Inayatullah Lak, Director Research, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab.

Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President PILDAT, in his welcome address, offered fateha for the victims of the bomb blast yesterday in Quetta and welcomed the Honourable members of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan to Lahore.

Chairing the Joint Briefing Session, Honourable Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Speaker Punjab Assembly, expressed his gratitude to PILDAT, and welcomed the Balochistan MPAs to Lahore. He acknowledged the paramount importance of inter-provincial harmony and stressed countering negative perceptions regarding other provinces. He was of the opinion that we should think in terms of Pakistan and not as Sindhi, Balochi, Pathan or Punjabi.

Speaking at the Briefing Session, Honourable Agha Syed Liaqat Ali, MPA, Leader of the Balochistan delegation, thanked PILDAT and appreciated its efforts for facilitating the Inter-Provincial Legislative interaction. He said that for legislators to effectively discharge their responsibilities, it is important that Provincial Assemblies come together to discuss effective ways and means to strengthen their respective rules. He appreciated the development in Lahore and said that Lahore can be a showcase city of Pakistan to the developed countries.

Presenting a comparative Analysis of the Rules of Procedures of four Provincial Assemblies at the Briefing Session, Mr. Inayatullah Lak, Director Research, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, highlighted on several rules and provision in Provincial Assemblies including Summoning, prorogation, quorum, seating, oath, roll of members, election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Panel of Chairmen, leave of absence, resignation, death and unseating of members etc.

MPAs at the Briefing Session discussed in detail the reforms needed to strengthen the respective rules in the two Assemblies. They focused especially on greater powers and role on financial and budgetary scrutiny of the Assemblies as well as the need to strengthen committee system for a more effective oversight role of the Assembly Committees.

Ms. Raheela Durrani, MPA, Balochistan, stressed that the legislations done in other Assemblies should be shared with the Balochistan Assembly so that legislation in all Assemblies could be brought at par.

Facilitated by PILDAT and in leadership of Honourable Agha Syed Liaqat Ali, MPA (PB-8-Pishin-I, PkMAP) the parliamentary delegation of Balochistan Assembly included Honourable Haji Abdul Malik Kakar, MPA (PB-9-Pishin-II, JUI); Honourable Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, MPA (P B-6 Quetta-VI, PMAP); Honourable Nasrullah Khan Zaire, MPA (PB-5 Quetta-V, PMAP); Honourable Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani, MPA (PBW-54, PML-N); Honourable Syed Muhammad Raza, MPA (PB-2 Quetta-II, MWM); Honourable Ubaidullah Jan Babat, MPA (PB-16-Loralai-II, PMAP); Honourable Yaasmin Bibi, MPA (PBW-58, NP); Honourable Ruqia Saeed Hashmi, MPA (PBW-62, PML); Honourable Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, MPA (PB-17 Barkhan, JUI); Honourable Shahida Rauf, MPA (PBW-60, JUI) and Honourable Fateh Muhammad Gulaili, MPA (PB-49 Kech II, NP).

MPAs from Punjab Assembly who participated in the Briefing Session included Honourable Rana Muhammad Iqbal, MPA (PP-184-Kasur X, PML-N); Honourable Syed Tariq Yaqub Rizvi, MPA (PP-117-Mandi Bahauddin, PML-N); Honourable Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, MPA (PP -179- Kasur V, PMLN); Honourable Syed Muhammad Mahfooz Mashedi, MPA (PP-120-Mandi Bahaddin-V, PML-N); Honourable Ayesha Javed, MPA (W-317, PML-N); Honourable Najma Afzal Khan, MPA (W-320, PML-N); Honourable Nabeela Hakim Ali Khan, MPA (W-358, PTI); Honourable Saadia Sohail Rana, MPA (W-355, PTI); Honourable Hina Pervez Butt, MPA (W353, PML-N); Honourable Raheela Khadim Hussain, MPA (W-345, PML-N); Honourable Faiza Ahmad Malik, MPA (W362, PPPP) and Honourable Lubana Rehan, MPA (W-340, PML-N).

Earlier the Balochistan Assembly Parliamentary Delegation, which is on three day visit of Lahore, visited the office of Metro Bus Authority where Chairman Metro Bus Authority Khawaja Muhammad Hassan and Managing Director Metro Bus Authority, briefed the visiting delegation regarding the Metro Bus system. Later the delegation also travelled on the Metro Bus from Punjab Secretariat to Ittefaq Hospital. The delegation appreciated the project of the Punjab Government .

PILDAT is implementing the inter-provincial legislators' exchange under which Members of the four Provincial Assemblies visit each other's Assemblies to learn from comparison of Assemblies' Rules in order to strengthen the Assemblies. The Exchange is also meant to promote greater inter-provincial understanding of issues. So far, PILDAT has successfully facilitated MPAs' Exchanges between Punjab and Sindh: a multi-party delegation of 15 Members of the Sindh Assembly visited Lahore from August 27-29, 2013 to interact with MPAs of Punjab and a 29 Member Delegation of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab visited Karachi on September 12-13, 2013 and 15 members of Punjab Assembly delegation visited Quetta from October 4-6, 2013.

The objectives of the Inter-Provincial Dialogue are to achieve consensus on parliamentary duties and functions, establish uniformity in certain aspects of the rules, increase inter-provincial harmony and encourage open exchange of ideas and techniques to strengthen the role of Provincial Assemblies and Provincial Legislators in discharging their responsibilities of representation, legislation and oversight.

The Joint Briefing session was organized by PILDAT under the project Supporting Monitoring of Democracy, Electoral Reforms and Development of Youth in Pakistan which is supported by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), Government of Denmark.