Chairman Senate Inaugurates Workshop for Punjab Assembly Committee Chairpersons at PIPS
Chairman Senate Inaugurates Workshop for Punjab Assembly Committee Chairpersons at PIPS
Islamabad, April 23, 2025 – Honourable Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Chairman Senate of Pakistan and President of the Board of Governors of the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), inaugurated the Workshop for the Council of Chairpersons of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab at Serena Hotel, Islamabad. The three-day workshop, jointly organized by PIPS and the European Union Funded Mustehkam Parlimaan Project (MuP), brings together over 50 Chairpersons of Standing and Special Committees to strengthen the committee system’s role in legislative oversight, citizen engagement, and effective governance.
In his keynote address, Mr. Gilani highlighted the importance of parliamentary committees as the engines of executive accountability. Reflecting on his extensive experience, including the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, he called for empowering provincial institutions and fostering bipartisan collaboration in committee work. He urged Chairpersons to adopt a non-partisan, people-centric approach, emphasizing that “the credibility of parliamentary committees depends on the seriousness, discipline, and impartiality with which they function.”
Welcoming the participants, Honourable Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, underscored the importance of committee leadership in transforming legislative intent into action. He shared key highlights of recent reforms to the Rules of Procedure that have empowered committees with greater independence and thematic focus. The Speaker encouraged Chairpersons to lead their committees as proactive and credible institutions of oversight, rising above partisan considerations in service to the people of Punjab.
Earlier, Mr. Asim Khan Goraya, Executive Director PIPS, welcomed participants by terming the workshop a “reaffirmation of our shared resolve to build institutions.” He commended the Punjab Assembly’s leadership for its commitment to reform, procedural clarity, and capacity development. Mr. Goraya praised the remarkable achievements and invaluable contributions of Hon. Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Chairman of the Senate\President PIPS Board of Governors. He specifically highlighted Mr. Gilani’s election as the Founding Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference.This significant forum was formally inaugurated earlier this month in Seoul, South Korea, with the active participation of parliamentary leaders representing diverse regions across the globe. Mr. Asim further emphasized that this distinguished appointment is a moment of immense pride for the entire nation.
The inaugural session featured a high-level panel discussion on “The Evolving Role of Standing Committees in Parliamentary Oversight and Recent Reforms to Strengthen Their Effectiveness., the panel included:
* Honourable Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, Speaker, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab
* Honourable Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs
* Honourable Farhatullah Babar, Senior Parliamentarian
In his remarks, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry emphasized that parliamentary committees are not only technical bodies but also political spaces where real issues must be addressed with seriousness and clarity. He called for enhanced linkages between the federal and provincial legislatures to align oversight priorities.
Ms. Mary Cummins, Team Lead of the Mustehkam Parlimaan Project, also addressed the gathering, emphasizing the importance of fostering institutional collaboration and the project’s ongoing support to strengthen democratic institutions across Pakistan.
The workshop continues through April 25 at the PIPS campus, featuring technical sessions on Rules of Procedure, Fiscal Oversight, Public Petitions, and Committee Roles in Lawmaking, led by senior legislators, legal experts, and secretariat officials.
This workshop represents a high-level parliamentary forum dedicated to equipping committee leadership with the tools, knowledge, and institutasunional linkages needed to lead effective, transparent, and citizen-focused governance.
