MPs need strong support for better legislation: NA Speaker

ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar said that Parliamentarians represent will of the people of Pakistan and they needed a strong support base for research and capacity building for better legislation and strengthening of democratic institutions.

He said this in his meeting with Executive Director PIPS Zafarullah Khan on Wednesday in which senior officers from National Assembly were also present on the occasion.

The main agenda of this meeting was to review the performance of Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS) and to further enhance its skills for capacity building of Parliamentarians and staff of the Parliament.

The Speaker said that Parliament needed better research and analysis facilities, latest equipment and training for members and staff of legislative assemblies. He said that being the Speaker of National Assembly, these areas have remained his priority and various steps have taken in this regard.

While addressing the meeting, the Speaker expressed his desire for further expediting enactment of legislation, and directed PIPS administration to provide all out support to the Parliamentarians in this regard. He further directed the PIPS to arrange training courses on Rule of Procedures and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, Constitution of Pakistan, Legislative Terminology and Parliamentary norms for the members and staff of the National Assembly.

Asad Qaiser stressed the need for research work and to introduce different courses in PIPS especially on Human Rights, foreign policy, civil and military relations, good governance and administrative affairs and provide input to Parliamentarians on these subjects so that they can take active part in legislative process.

Executive Director PIPS Zafarullah Khan briefed the Speaker about historical background, organogram, objectives and performance of PIPS.

He informed the Speaker that the main goal of the institute is to provide non-partisan and expert analysis on different subjects, and to help the legislators in making government policies on the national issues.

He further informed that the institute is providing informed policy inputs such as in-depth background notes, assessing bills, research papers, briefs, legislative summaries, consultations and other services to parliamentary committees as well as members of National Assembly, Senate and all Provincial Assemblies. The institute has also arranged the training course for the Parliamentarians and staff for their capacity building.