Ottawa, October 26; A Pakistan Parliamentary delegation facilitated by PILDAT began the first day of its interactions on the Budget Process and Budget Scrutiny by Parliamentary Committees in Canada here yesterday.

The delegation comprises Mr. Khurram Dastgir Khan, MNA, Chairman, National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), NA-96, Gujranwala-II, Punjab); Mr. Nadeem Afzal Gondal, MNA, Chairman National Assembly Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges (Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), NA-64 Sargodha-I, Punjab); Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, MNA, Chairperson National Assembly Standing Committee on Water and Power (Pakistan peoples Party Parliamentarian (PPPP), NA-214 Nawabshah-II, Sindh); Khawaja Sohail Mansoor, MNA, (Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM); NA-240, Karachi-II, Sindh); Dr. Maqsood Ahmad Malik, Secretary, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab; Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, Executive Director, PILDAT and Ms. Aasiya Riaz, Joint Director, PILDAT.

The objective behind the Study Visit is to facilitate an opportunity of interaction and learning on the role of Canadian Parliament and Parliamentary Committees in the Budget Process of Canada so as to strengthen and accelerate the process of reform in enhancing the role of Parliamentary input, scrutiny and oversight of the Budget in Pakistan.

Parliamentary Control of the purse strings or the national budget is one of the most crucial powers of any Parliament. As the representative of the people, Parliament is the appropriate place to ensure that the Budget best matches the nation's needs with available resources. Such an exercise demands detailed engagement of the Parliament with the Budget Process. Pakistan�s current budgetary process has, for various historical reasons, attracted little input, scrutiny and oversight from Parliament and its committees. The budget process has in consequence become solely the domain of the executive, leaving little scope for input in formulation, analysis or accountability. PILDAT has been working together with key Parliamentary stakeholders from various political parties to make the Federal Budget Process more inclusive and to strengthen the channels and practices of Parliamentary input, scrutiny and oversight of the national budget. The Study Visit provides an opportunity to a multi-party group of National Assembly Standing Committee chairs and members, as well as to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, to study first hand and interact with their Canadian counterparts on how the Canadian Parliamentary oversight of budget takes place and what lessons can be drawn for implementation in Pakistan.

On the first day of the Study Visit, the delegation was given an Overview of the Parliamentary and Political System in Canada by Mr. Jean-Paul Ruszkowski, President and CEO and Mr. Ivo Balinov, Senior Expert, Parliamentary Development, of the Parliamentary Centre, Canada. Mr. Peter Devries, Former official of the Department of Finance, Canada, shared a detailed Overview of the Budget Process in Canada and budget scrutiny by parliamentary committees. Mr. Peter Devries is also the author of 6 Case Studies on Canadian Budgetary Process that form part of the PILDAT Budget Process Guide.

The Pakistani delegation had a candid exchange of views with a group of officials from the South Asia division of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade on a variety of issues including Pakistan�s perspectives on Canada�s support in democratic development, flood disaster relief and rehabilitation, the support and assistance Pakistan prefers in the form of trade, NATO�s role in the war in Afghanistan and its fall-out on Pakistan and the diplomatic and moral support Pakistan expects from the international community and bilateral relations on issue of Kashmir and relations with India, etc. The Pakistani delegation was joined by Mr. Greg Giokas, Director, South Asia Division, Mr. Jane Bartlett, Acting Deputy Director, South Asia Division, Mr. Martin Cooke, Senior Analyst, Democracy, Commonwealth, and Francophonie Division, Mr. Chris Triggs, Desk Officer, South Asia Division and Mr. Matt Robertson, Desk Officer, South Asia Division.

The High Commissioner of Pakistan to Canada Mian Gul Akbar Zeb invited the Pakistani delegation at his residence for supper and interaction. Senator Salma Ataullahjan, the Canadian Senator of Pakistani origin, was also part of the group the Pakistani delegation interacted with.

The Study Visit that has been facilitated by PILDAT jointly with the Parliamentary Centre Canada is part of the Parliamentary and Political Party Strengthening Project (PPPSP) which is funded through the Glyn Berry Program of Canada�s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).

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