Ottawa, May 14: The Pakistan Parliamentary delegation called on the Speaker House of Commons, Canada, the Honourable Mr. Peter Milliken at the Parliament hill. The courtesy call on the Speaker was part of the Pakistani Parliamentary Delegation's on-going Study Visit to Canada on Parliament and Budgetary Accountability.

The Pakistan delegation is lead by Syed Naveed Qamar, MNA; Federal Minister for Privatisation (NA-222 Hyderabad V, Sindh, PPPP) and includes Ms. Fauzia Wahab, MNA; Chairperson National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance (NA-312, Women Sindh-V, PPPP); Mr. Asif M. Khawaja, MNA, Member, National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance & Revenue (NA-110, Sialkot-I, Punjab, PML-N); Mr. Riaz Khan Fatyana, MNA, Member, National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance & Revenue (NA-94, Toba Tek Singh-II, Punjab, PML); Mr. Abdul Rashid Godil, MNA, Member, National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance (NA-252, Karachi-XIV, Sindh, MQM); Mr. Muhammad Mushtaq, Deputy Secretary Legislation, National Assembly of Pakistan; Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, Executive Director, PILDAT and Ms. Aasiya Riaz, Joint Director, PILDAT.

Earlier the delegation held detailed interactions with the Chair and Members of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates. Mr. Derek Lee, Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Rob Anders, Vice Chair, Ms. Diane Bourgeois, Ms. Martha Hall Findlay and Mr. Chris Warkentin held detailed discussions with the delegation on the work and remit of the committee and explained in detail the budget process in Canada and how the committee had the mandate to go across government departments and operations.

The Pakistan delegation also met and talked with the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Commons, Canada which also hosted the delegation at lunch. The PAC Chair Mr. Shawn Murphy, Ms. Yasmin Ratansi, Ms. Bonnie Crombie, Mr. Francis Valeriote, Mr. Andrew Saxton and Mr. Robert Oliphant were part of the interaction., Apart from the role and powers of the PAC, the two sides discussed the situation in Swat, the pressing issue of displaced persons and avenues of support and cooperation between the two countries and Parliaments.

In another set of meetings on Thursday, May 14, the Pakistan delegation spoke to the staff of Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), learned about the system of support to Parliamentary parties, especially that of research support, through talking with the researchers of the liberal party, the principle opposition party of Canada and called on the Deputy Minister DFAIT, Mr. Leonard Edwards.

The Study Visit to Canada is implemented jointly by the Parliamentary Centre, Canada and PILDAT. The Study Tour from May 10-17, 2009 is organised so that the key members of Pakistan's Parliament and National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance can interact with their counterparts in the Canadian Parliament and learn about the ways and means through which the Canadian Parliament and its committees exercise their control over the purse strings.