PILDAT kicks off Assessment of the Quality of Democracy in 2011 through a National Workshop
   

PILDAT holds Briefing Session for Punjab MPAs on Taxing the Agricultural Income
   

Repeated interventions in Democracy responsible for Stunted Growth of Democratic Institutions: Law Minister
   Performance of Parliament evaluated to be at 44% by MPs and Others: PILDAT Parliament Performance Score Card

Pakistan wants to see an Independent, Sovereign and Prosperous Afghanistan: Prime Minister Gilani
   

PILDAT welcomes ECP decision to operationalise Constitutional bar on dual nationality holders to contest election
   

Pakistan and Afghanistan Parliamentarians� engage in a Parliamentary Dialogue on December 20-21, 2011 in Islamabad
   

PILDAT launches Punjab Assembly Score Card
   

• The round table was unanimous in its view that the democratic system despite its weaknesses should be allowed to continue and should be allowed to improve with the passage of time.
• MPAs once again demand more effective role for the Standing Committees.
• Punjab Assembly Performance achieves 43 % scores on IPU scale which is identical as the first two years score card.
• Assembly worked 3 hours and 18 minutes a day on the average in the 3rd year as compared to 4 hours and 3 minutes in 2009-2010.
• 21 (55 %) of the committees did not hold a single meeting in the third year.
• Chief Minister attended 13 (18 %) sittings in 3rd year. An improvement of 41% over the last two years.

Terms of Reference and Timeframe of Memo probe should be made public: Dialogue Group on Civil-Military Relations
   

Citizens need facts on Pak-US cooperation, probe on Mohmand Assault: Dialogue Group on Civil-Military Relations
   

Set 5 Year Term for Election Commissioners, demands CGEP
   

Members� 2-Year term will compromise ECP independence � PILDAT Demands a 5-year term like CEC
   

Budget Process Reforms and Accountability Bill remain unfulfilled agenda in 3 years of the Parliamentary Performance
   PILDAT releases Citizens Reports on 3 Year Analysis of the Performance of the National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan

PILDAT launches an online Directory and Database of the Parliamentary Committees and Civil Society/Research Organisations of Pakistan
   

PILDAT lauds NA Standing Committee on Rules for approving amendment to give right of budget scrutiny to Standing Committees
   

Transformation of Turkey: Lessons for Pakistan
   

Ethnic Conflict in Sindh should be resolved through dialogue: MPAs Sindh Assembly and Representatives of Political Parties
   

PILDAT Congratulates Deputy Speaker on his unanimous election to IPU Executive Committee
   

Pakistan-Azad Jammu & Kashmir Politico-Legal Conflict can be resolved through Dialogue Process, Legislators AJ&K Legislative Assembly
   

Civil-Military Relations: The Case of India
   

Parliamentary Oversight of Defence: South Africa in the Democratic Era
   

Indifference of Parliament and its Committees on growing US pressure on Pakistan is disappointing: PILDAT
   

Legislators should give policy for development rather getting funds. Senator Jan Jamali
   

Poor governance and economic disarray weakening consensus on democracy: DAG
   

India-Pakistan Parliamentarians Dialogue; August 18-19, 2011; New Delhi, India
   Joint Statement

Indian and Pakistani Parliamentarians engage on strengthening people to people contact for better understanding between two countries
   

Government should implement the decisions of the Supreme Court in Letter and Spirit, demands PILDAT
   

Make Airblue Crash Report Public, demand parents of Martyred MYPs
   

Citizens� Forum demands Reforms in the Budget Process in the Punjab Assembly
   

PILDAT releases Citizens Report on the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs
   

1. National Assembly�s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs held a total of 17 meetings from 2008-2011; corresponding committees in Indian and UK Parliaments held 52 and 82 meetings in the period respectively

2. Committee held only one meeting since US operation in Abbottabad on May 2 and that also to meet the British Ambassador to Afghanistan

3. More than half of the members did not attend committee meetings with average attendance of members at 38%

4. Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Asfandyar Wali Khan, MNA, (NA-9, Mardan-I, KP, ANP) chaired 07 out of 17 meetings with 41% attendance

5. PPPP MNA Ms. Fouzia Habib, (NA-296, Punjab-XXIV), the most regular member in committee meetings attending 15 (88%) out of 17 meetings

6. JUI-F leader Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, MNA, (NA-26, Bannu, KP) and Mr. Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, (NA-119, Lahore-II, Punjab, PML-N) tie for the lowest attendance of committee meetings having attended only 01 meeting (06%) each in 3 years

7. The average percentage attendance of the members of PPPP stood at 55%, followed by PML-N with an average percentage attendance of 36% and PML with 18%

8. National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee did not table any report in 3 years; in comparison Senate Foreign Affairs Committee presented and published 3 reports during 2010-2011 alone and corresponding committees in Indian and UK Parliament presented 12 and 32 reports respectively

9. Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, held 11 meetings or 38% more meetings during 2010-2011 compared to 8 meetings held by National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs

PILDAT Welcomes Meeting of the Pakistan National Assembly Speaker with her Indian counterpart
   

80% of Budget Speeches by MNAs during Budget Session 2011 were on non-budget issues: Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, MNA
   

Despite Promises, Government introduces no Reforms in the Parliamentary Budget Process after 4 Years
   

• 13th National Assembly utilised a dismal 17 working days from presentation to debate and passage of Federal Budget 2011-2012; neighbouring India has Parliamentary Budget Process spanning 75 days

• 13% increase in the number of working days this year compared to the previous year � though despite promises the Government introduced no reforms in Budget Process

• 16% drop in time consumed in budget debate 2011 compared to 2008; total 35 hours consumed in Budget process in National Assembly compared to 41.6 in 2008

• Sharp decline witnessed in number of MNAs participating in the budget debate over the last 4 years of the 13th National Assembly: 39 % less MNAs spoke in 2011 compared to 2008

• 4% decrease in time used by opposition members in budget debate from 2008 in budget session 2011

• Treasury benches consumed 22.5 hours or 64% of total time while opposition members spoke for 12.5 hours or 36% of the time in Budget debate

• MQM members utilised almost twice as much time than warranted by their numbers followed by PML-N and JUI-F members

• PM attended 12 days or 70% of budget session sittings compared to 3 days or 18% of the sittings attended by the Leader of the Opposition

• National Assembly has not initiated a Pre-Budget Session while Punjab Assembly has changed its rules and been holding Pre-Budget Sessions for 3 years to seek legislators� input into budget priorities

PILDAT Welcomes ECP decision to ban election of Foreign Nationals to Parliament; demands disclosure of foreign permanent residence status and posting of all nomination form declarations on ECP website
   

PILDAT demands Right-Sizing the Federal Cabinet; Retaining Federal Ministers despite devolving Ministries undue burden on National Exchequer
   

Punjab Assembly Council of Chairmen Discuss Reform Proposals to Empower Standing Committees in reviewing Provincial Budget
   

Chief Election Commissioner AJK should take notice of Pakistan�s public office holders� participation in AJK election campaign: PILDAT
   

PAC and Defence Ministry should put forward their findings on financial mismanagement in NLC: PILDAT
   

Go beyond Constituencies in Budget Debate, Punjab MPAs told
   

1. Enlarge the tax-base
2. Give Powers to Committees to scrutinize Budget
3. Implement agricultural income-tax
4. Get electronic and print media to cover substance of speeches better

Frame Legislation and Rules to Implement Article 25-A: Experts stressed at PILDAT Forum on Enforcement of right to free education and article 25-A of the Constitution
   

No representation without taxation, Experts tell MPs
   

• Pakistan ranks 153rd number in the world in tax to GDP ratio, just ahead of Congo
• Budget is based on loans and grants that are taxes paid by people of foreign countries
• Defence Allocations not possible to understand through Budget Documents
• Government loses Rs.1.3 Trillion annually in form of leakages and corruption
• Parliamentary Budget Process has to be made more effective
• Sweeping Powers of Executive to spend beyond originally passed budget according to Constitution Article 84 need to be reviewed

Friendship and Deep Relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan are the way forward for regional stability and Peace: President Karzai
   

Visit by Pakistan Delegation to Republic of South Africa
   

Constitutional Arrangements of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan need reforms, PILDAT Legislative Forum
   

Parliament urged to formulate comprehensive defence and security policies
   

Parliamentary Accountability and Oversight Can Strengthen National Security & Public Trust in Security Institutions: PILDAT
   

1. Elected Government and Parliament continue to abdicate responsibility to define and oversee a comprehensive national security strategy
2. Committees' pace of exercising oversight, policy review remains slow and largely ineffective
3. Undue secrecy and lack of public information and consultation culture should not be the norm of Parliamentary oversight of security
4. Parliament and Parliamentary Committees, constitutionally empowered, must demand comprehensive details of security and defence related issues and agreements, especially relating to USA
5. Activate and strengthen Cabinet Committee on Defence and National Security including Ministers of Defence, Foreign Affairs, Interior and Finance; supported by a permanent secretariat & think tank
6. Activate Minister & Ministry of Defence

PILDAT demands Parliamentary Committee seek details of Pak-US cooperation
   

Dialogue only way forward to resolve sectarian conflicts in GB: GB Legislators
   

PILDAT Group demands comprehensive statement from Govt. on OBL killing; demands Parliament to investigate
   

PPPP-PML Alliance Should Work to Improve Standards of Governance
   

Failure of Governance should not be seen as failure of Democracy
   

Make Immunization Drive More Effective and Result Oriented: MPAs Balochistan
   

Federal Oversight is necessary in Labour Affairs after Devolution: Experts
   

PILDAT Legislative Forum on Health and the 18th Constitutional Amendment

Federal health division should be created to retain national role in health: Experts
   

�PILDAT Suggestions to amend the National Commission for Human Rights Bill 2008 are adopted by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights,� says Ms. Fauzia Habib at PILDAT Legislative Forum
   

Parliamentary Dialogue to continue to strengthen Pak-Afghan ties, announce Co-Chairs of Pak-Afghan Parliamentary Dialogue
   

• May Pakistan win the Semi Final, pray Afghan Parliamentary delegates
• Parliamentary Dialogue, media cooperation and greater people-to-people contact to cure trust deficit
• Afghan Parliamentary delegation calls-on President of Pakistan, Chairman Senate

Pak-Afghan Parliamentarians agree to continue dialogue; next round to be held in Kabul in May 2011
   

Public Representatives urged to Monitor and Oversee the National Emergency Action Plan 2011
   

• In 2011, 24 cases of polio detected across Pakistan which is twice as compared to 12 in same period in 2010
• Lake of coordination among Legislators and bureaucracy is a big hurdle

To construct or not to construct Kalabagh Dam: agreement to continue dialogue
   

South Punjab: to be or not to be a separate province: talks remain deadlocked
   

PILDAT analyses 3rd year of the 13th National Assembly
   

Quality of Democracy assessed at 46% upon conclusion of 3rd Parliamentary Year
   

A subcommittee of MPAs to be formed in Punjab Assembly under Dr. Asad Ashraf to debate and draft a compulsory Immunization Bill
   

A committee of MPAs should be constituted especially for monitoring of immunization campaign in KPK: Experts
   

Health officials insisted to involve elected representatives for successful immunization campaigns, demanded MPAs of Sindh Assembly and Parliamentarians of FATA in PILDAT review meetings on the recent immunization campaigns
   

Budgetary Demands for Grants must be reviewed by Parliamentary Committees
   

Government committed to ensure constitutional and legal framework for free, fair and credible elections: Senator Babar Awan
   

FATA is the key to achieve the goal of polio eradication in Pakistan: FATA MPs urged to play a role
   

• Polio has had a 71% increase in Pakistan in 2 years
• 3 lakh or 25% of the children in FATA are inaccessible for polio immunization
• Parliamentarian has an important role to play in awareness campaign and to help create accessibility

Briefing on the Benefits for Immunization
   

Removal of Trust-Deficit among provinces needed for building water reservoirs in the Country
   

MPAs and Media resolve to work closely to remove the mistrust amongst the provinces to build big water reservoirs
   

Compulsory Immunization Bill should be moved in Parliament and Provincial Assemblies: MPs believe
   

Trade across LOC is a good tool to enhance inter-dependence that could lead towards Indo-Pak conflict resolution
   

Good Civil-Military Relations in Pakistan require patience and continuation of democracy
   

• German model of Civil-Military Relations offers contrast, not comparisons for Pakistan�s Civil-Military Relations
• German Parliament approves number of defence troops annually through defence budget; sanctions overseas deployment of German Military
• While Germany has learnt from defeat of World War, Pakistani state and society have not learnt lessons from defeats in 1965 and 1971 wars
• Parliament and Defence Committees should define security policy of the country
• Bad governance and poor socio-economic situation leads to military takeover
• Parliament and Government must create conditions for Civilian and Parliamentary Oversight of Defence in Pakistan

Concerns of Smaller Provinces on Water Issues should be addressed to overcome trust deficit on Water Issues: KP MPAs
   

British MPs visit PILDAT Office; interact with Pakistani MPs on Challenges facing Pakistani Parliament and Role of PILDAT
   

Parliamentarians and Media should play role in conflict-resolution and political consensus-building among Provinces on Water Issues
   

Political decision-making through Dialogue needed to resolve issues over construction of reservoirs: Balochistan MPAs
   

Take Public Representatives along in Immunization Campaigns: Sindh MPAs demand from Government & UNICEF
   

• Sindh saw a 100% increase in the number of polio cases in 2010 compared to 2009
• Number of high risk districts increased from 3 to 10 in Sindh after the flood
• Legislation needed for Compulsory Immunization of new-borns

Sindh is not against building new water reservoirs: Sindh MPAs
   

Dialogue is the only way to build Consensus among Provinces on Water Issues
   

Provincial Ministers and Senior Government Officials brief the Punjab MPAs on the forthcoming Budget 2011-2012
   

Pakistan-India Parliamentarians� Dialogue
January 06-07, 2011; Islamabad, Pakistan
   January 07, 2011

Pakistan and India should resume dialogue for peace and reconciliation: Pakistan-India Parliamentarians agreed
   

Parliamentarians to build Consensus among Provinces on Water Issues