Training and gaining exposure to parliamentary affairs is critical for the lawmakers
PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has initiated a programme to train its Provincial Assembly members in legislative affairs through a training course in the United Kingdom. This is in addition to local training by the Institute for Parliamentary Services, Islamabad, the United Nations Development Programme, and various NGOs. The expenses of all these trainings are borne by the provincial kitty.
Training and gaining exposure to parliamentary affairs is critical for the lawmakers as many of them have been elected for the first time to the K-P assembly. The role of the K-P assembly is also commendable as the provincial assembly has passed many laws in a short span of three years.
Generally, lawmakers in Pakistan have a poor understanding of the legislative affairs. There is a lot more that needs to be done to train them in the matters of good governance, financial matters, audit, and the role of standing committees. Legislators should have a thorough understanding of local problems and must be innovative in providing solutions. Foreign trainings may provide education about legislative affairs but it will not enlighten them of the hardships faced by local populations, which they should be sensitive to.
The National Institute of Parliamentary Services should establish regional institutes to train provincial members of parliament in regional issues. Their interest in parliamentary affairs must be activated as a lack of concern and will are major issues in the national and provincial assemblies. Ethics, public administration and financial management should be made part of their training.
Sayyad A Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2016.
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