Senate hosts Parliamentary Interface for learning experience of Provincial Assemblies

ISLAMABAD, :The Parliamentary Interface regarding learning experience of the Provincial Assemblies Secretariat with Senate Secretariat of Pakistan was held on Monday here at the Parliament House, jointly organized by the Senate of Pakistan and Mustehkam Parlimaan.

The event focused on providing an overview of the Senate’s structure, legislative processes,  parliamentary research and overall work of the Senate of Pakistan  Secretary  Senate, Mohammad Qasim Samad Khan, welcomed the delegation and received a brief introduction from the members of the provincial assemblies accompanying the delegation.

Haris Rehman, Principal Secretary, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the structure, electoral college, and functions of the Senate of Pakistan. Muhammad Zubair Thaheem, Joint Secretary briefed the delegation about the reforms and key initiatives undertaken by the Senate to equip itself for modern challenges, a news release said.

Joint Secretary of Legislation in the Senate, Rafi Ullah briefed participants from the Parliamentary Interface on International best practices in the working of the Uper House of the Parliament . He also covered topics such as Senate House proceeding,Senate powers, its legislative role, accountability, and policy guidance.

During the session, members stressed upon ways to enhance the Senate’s relevance in terms of powers  to money bills. Muhammad Azam, Deputy Secretary Legislation also briefed on new Senate practices, including public petitions,  PAC, Senate assistance  in International Parliamentarian Congress and Women Parliamentarian Congress.

Additionally, Iffat Mustapha, Director  Research in the Senate, inquired about participants’ research scope in their provinces and provided insights into parliamentary research. She outlined the background of research, mentioning the creation of different specializations in the Senate over time. Mustafa emphasized that research not only assists the parliamentarians during their foreign visits but also benefits various departments as well.

The participants also visited the Senate Museum, Senate Library, Senate Hall, Data Center and received an informative briefings about them.  DG Coordination, PDU(Library), Mir Shai Mazar Baloch, stated that the aim of the Parliamentary Interface is to create a connection between Provincial Legislative units and the Senate of Pakistan.

He briefed the delegation about the role of the Parliamentary Development Unit (PDU), which is solely dedicated to informing the Senate Secretariat about new innovations and acquiring additional resources for the realization of such innovations.

He added that the Parliamentary Interface will serve as a platform for creating connectivity between provincial assemblies and the Senate of Pakistan, facilitating coordination efforts to resolve issues faced by any provincial units. Moreover, Iffat Mustafa, Director of Research, emphasized that an effective interface between legislative drafting units and parliamentary research units will contribute to creating quality legislation.

In Conclusion, Special Secretary of the Senate, Major (R) Syed Hasnian Haider, provided concrete clarification in response to the delegation’s queries and the delegation presents a summary of key takeaways from the visit.