Promoting the development of parliamentary democracy in Pakistan

Project description

Title: Support to Parliamentary Development in Pakistan- Mustehkam Parlimaan
Commissioned by: European Union
Financier: European Union
Country: Pakistan
Overall term: 2021 to 2024

Context

After decades of military rule, democratic governance is emerging in Pakistan. The country’s provinces now have increased autonomy and enjoyed peaceful political transitions in the 2013 and 2018 elections. Parliaments (National and Provincial Assemblies and the Senate bodies) have emerged as key institutions. Despite political agitation and other issues, all political parties and public institutions agree that federal and provincial parliaments should play a bigger role.

The project is being implemented by GIZ-InS in collaboration with the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS).

Objective

Parliamentary democracy is being consolidated in Pakistan in both the federal and provincial parliaments.

Approach

The project provides support in three strategic intervention areas:

  1. Enhanced legislative, oversight, budgetary and representation capacity
  2. Strengthened capacity for administration and support service
  3. Facilitated inclusive parliamentary processes, addressing socio-economic issues (i.e. poverty, hunger, health, education)

Through:

Enhancing committee systems and structures

  • Making committee processes more effective and efficient for performance, legislative and budgetary oversight.

Enhancing Members’ engagement with media and sensitising journalists’ understanding of the Parliament

  • Identifying key areas in which journalists can be helped to better understand the workings of the parliament and provide appropriate coverage of the Members’ work.

 Supporting the institutional development of the Provincial Assembly secretariats.

  • Developing and refreshing provincial secretariat staff’s knowledge and understanding of parliamentary processes to enable their smooth handling of House Business.

Legislative drafting

  • Developing a handbook on drafting techniques for delegated legislation for the National Parliament Houses to ensure well-structured delegated legislation

Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC)

  • Improving the effectiveness of the role of the WPCs and enhancing the role of women parliamentarians in decision-making boards.

Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF)

  • Engaging the YPF to decide the forum’s future agenda, as well as helping provincial assemblies to form provincial YPFs.

Last update: July 2022