Ottawa, October 27; The Pakistan Parliamentary delegation, currently on a PILDAT and Parliamentary Centre-facilitated Study Visit to Canada, spent the day interacting with the chairs and members of the various Canadian Parliamentary Standing Committees to discuss the Canadian committees� powers and role of estimates and budget scrutiny and oversight.

The Pakistan delegation met with the Standing Committee of the Canadian House of Commons on Natural Resources. The delegation was greeted by the Chair Mr. Leon Benoit who was joined by other committee members including Mr. Scott Andrews, Mr. Alan Tonks, Mr. Nathan Cullen. As the counterpart committee of the Pakistan�s National Assembly Standing Committee on Water and Power whose chair Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, MNA is part of the delegation, the two sides discussed the range of issues the two committees deal with and the scrutiny and oversight mechanisms in view of committees� work.

In a meeting with the Canadian Parliament�s Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs with the chairman Mr. Joe Preston, the Vice Chair Ms. Yasmin Ratansi and Mr. Louis Plamondon, senior member of the committee, the two sides engaged on the specific rules that give the powers to the Canadian committees to review budgetary estimates and approve those. A wider discussion on how best to write workable rules for the functioning of a Parliament to represent the electorate�s aspirations also ensued and the delegates appreciated on both sides the candidness and practicality of the Parliamentarians exchanges not only for a greater learning and understanding but also to develop deeper relationship between the two countries and its people.

The Canadian Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament was represented by the chair Senator Percy Downe and joined by members Ms. Carole Hughes and Mr. Gerard Asselin. The Pakistan delegation asked questions about the purview of the committee and its role in overseeing the Parliamentary Budget Officer in Canada in addition to the advice the committee provides to the Speaker of the House of Commons and Speaker of the Canadian Senate.

The Pakistan delegation currently in Canada 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 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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