Quetta, October 5; In a Joint Briefing Session for MPAs of Balochistan and Punjab on "Promoting Inter-Provincial Understanding", MPAs of the two provinces stressed for Strengthening Parliamentary Committees System for a more effective oversight of their respective Governments. Speakers at the Briefing Session included Honourable Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali, MPA, Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, Honourable Col. (Retd.) Shuja Khanzada, MPA, Minister for Environment Protection Punjab and Mr. Inayatullah Lak, Director Research, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab.

Chairing the Joint Briefing Session Honourable Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali, Speaker Balochistan Assembly, expressed his gratitude to PILDAT, and welcomed the Punjab MPAs to Quetta. He acknowledged the paramount importance of interprovincial harmony and stressed countering negative perceptions regarding other provinces.

Speaking at the Briefing Session, Honourable Col. (Retd.) Shuja Khanzada, MPA, Minister for Environment Protection Punjab (PP-16, Attock-II, PML-N), thanked PILDAT and appreciated its efforts for facilitating the Inter-Provincial Legislative interaction. He said that for legislators to effectively discharge their responsibilities, it is important that Provincial Assemblies come together to discuss effective ways and means to strengthen their respective rules.

Presenting a comparative Analysis of the Rules of Procedures of four Provincial Assemblies at the Briefing Session, Mr. Inayatullah Lak, Director Research, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, highlighted several rules and provisions in Provincial Assemblies including Summoning, prorogation, quorum, seating, oath, roll of members, election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Panel of Chairmen, leave of absence, resignation, death and unseating of members etc.

MPAs at the Briefing Session discussed in detail the reforms needed to strengthen the respective rules in the two Assemblies. They focused especially on greater powers and role on financial and budgetary scrutiny of the Assemblies as well as the need to strengthen committee system for a more effective oversight role of the Assembly Committees.

MPAs from Balochistan who participated in the Briefing Session included Honourable Agha Syed Liaqat Ali, MPA (PB-8-Pishin-I, PkMAP); Honourable Haji Abdul Malik Kakar, MPA (PB-9-Pishin-II, JUI); Honourable Haji Akbar Askani, MPA, (PB-50-Kech-III, PML-N); Honourable Mr. Hamed Khan Achakzai, MPA (PB-11-Killa Abdullah-I, PMAP); Honourable Mr. Handery Masieh, MPA (NM-65, NP); Honourable Ms. Husan Bano, MPA (PBW-61, JUI); Honourable Ms. Kishwar Ahmed, MPA (PBW-52, PML-N); Honourable Mr. Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, MPA (P B-6 Quetta-VI, PMAP); Honourable Mir Izhar Hussain Khoso, MPA (PB 27-Jaffarabad-III, PML-N); Honourable Mir Khalid Langove, MPA (PB-36-Kalat-I, NP); Honourable Mr. Muhammad Khan Lehri, MPA (PB 29-Naseerabad-II, PML-N); Honourable Mr. Nasrullah Khan Zaire, MPA (PB-5 Quetta-V, PMAP); Honourable Nawab Muhammad Khan Shahwani, MPA (PB-38-Mastung / Quetta, NP); Honourable Mr. Prince Ahmed Ali, MPA (PB-44-Lasbela-I, PML-N); Honourable Ms. Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani, MPA (PBW-54, PML-N); Honourable Mr. Rahmat Ali Baloch, MPA (PB-42-Panjgoor-I, NP); Honourable Ms. Samina Khan, MPA (PBW-53, PML-N); Honourable Mr. Santosh Kumar, MPA (NM-63, PML-N); Honourable Sardar Dur Muhammad Nasar, MPA (PB-14-Loralai-I, PML-N); Honourable Sardar Raza Muhammad Barrech, MPA (PB-4 Quetta-IV, PMAP); Honourable Mr. Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, MPA (PB-24, Dera Bugti, PML-N); Honourable Ms. Shama Ishaq, MPA (PBW-59, NP); Honourable Syed Muhammad Raza, MPA (PB-2 Quetta-II, MWM); Honourable Mr. Ubaidullah Jan Babat, MPA (PB-16-Loralai-II, PMAP); Honourable Mr. William Jan Barkat, MPA (NM-64, PMAP); Honourable Ms. Yaasmin Bibi, MPA (PBW-58, NP); Honourable Mr. Zamrak Khan, MPA (PB 12-Killa Abdullah-II, ANP) and Honourable Moulvi Muazullah Musakhail, MPA (PB-15-Musakhail, JUI).

Earlier the Punjab Assembly Parliamentary Delegation who is on two day visit of Quetta called-on Chief Minister of Balochistan Honourable Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, MPA (PB-48, Kech-I, NP) and Speaker of Balochistan Honourable Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali, MPA (PB-25, Jaffarabad-I, PML-N) yesterday and today respectively. The Parliamentary Delegation also called-on Honourable Mr. Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Governor of Balochistan.

Facilitated by PILDAT and in leadership of Honourable Col. (Retd.) Shuja Khanzada, MPA, Minister for Environment Protection Punjab (PP-16, Attock-II, PML-N), the Parliamentary Delegation from the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab consists of Honourable Mr. Ahmad Ali Khan Dreshak, MPA (PP-243, Dera Ghazi Khan-IV, PTI), Honourable Ms. Ayesha Javed, MPA (W-317, PML-N), Honourable Engineer Qamar ul Islam Raja, MPA (PP-5, Rawalpindi-V, PML-N), Honourable Mr. Muhammad Arif Abbasi, MPA (PP-13, Rawalpindi-XIII, PTI), Honourable Dr. Murad Rass, MPA (PP-152, Lahore-XVI, PTI), Honourable Qazi Adnan Fareed, MPA (PP-268, Bahawalpur-II, PML-N), Honourable Mr. Ramesh Singh Arora, MPA (NM- 368, PML-N), Honourable Ms. Saadia Sohail Rana, MPA (W-355, PTI), Honourable Sardar Vickas Hassan Mokal, MPA (PP-180, Kasur-VI, PML), Honourable Syed Tariq Yaqoob, MPA (PP-117, Mandi Bahauddin-II, PML-N) and Honourable Dr. Syed Waseem Akhtar, MPA (PP-271, Bahawalpur-V, JI).

PILDAT is implementing the inter-provincial legislators' exchange under which Members of the four Provincial Assemblies visit each other's Assemblies to learn from comparison of Assemblies' Rules in order to strengthen the Assemblies. The Exchange is also meant to promote greater inter-provincial understanding of issues. So far, PILDAT has successfully facilitated MPAs' Exchanges between Punjab and Sindh: a multi-party delegation of 15 Members of the Sindh Assembly visited Lahore from August 27-29, 2013 to interact with MPAs of Punjab and a 29 Member Delegation of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab visited Karachi on September 12-13, 2013.

The objectives of the Inter-provincial Dialogue are to achieve consensus on parliamentary duties and functions, establish uniformity in certain aspects of the rules, increase inter-provincial harmony and encourage open exchange of ideas and techniques to strengthen the role of Provincial Assemblies and Provincial Legislators in discharging their responsibilities of representation, legislation and oversight.