ISLAMABAD
\nThe European Union Delegation to Pakistan hosted a pre-departure reception ahead of a visit of Pakistan\u2019s Parliamentarians to the Parliaments and Parliamentary Budget Offices (PBOs) of Austria and Ireland.
\nThis high-level delegation, comprising 23 distinguished members, is led by the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, said a press release issued by EU embassy in Islamabad here.
\nRepresenting Pakistan\u2019s diverse political leadership, the delegation includes the Speakers of the Provincial Assemblies, members of parliament from various political parties, as well as senior parliamentary secretariat officials.
\nThe visit is organised under a 15 million euros European Union-funded project named Support to Parliamentary Development in Pakistan (also known as Mustehkam Parlimaan).
\nImplemented jointly by GIZ International Services and the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), the project focuses on enhancing parliamentary oversight, fiscal responsibility and inclusive and effective legislative processes. The reception, hosted by Dr Riina Kionka, Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Pakistan, highlighted the EU\u2019s commitment to strengthening Pakistan\u2019s parliamentary democracy through this project.
\nAddressing the gathering, the EU Ambassador remarked: \u201cThe European Union has been a steadfast partner in strengthening Pakistan\u2019s democratic institutions. This visit offers a valuable opportunity for Pakistani legislators to learn from the successful practices of Austria and Ireland in establishing PBOs. They play a critical role in independent budgetary analysis and effective parliamentary oversight. We remain committed to support the assemblies\u2019 initiatives towards inclusive, transparent, and accountable governance in Pakistan.\u201d
\nThe visit is a pivotal step in advancing Pakistan\u2019s legislative capacity, specifically in establishing an independent Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) to provide parliamentarians with professional, non partisan, and in-depth analysis on the economy, budgetary and fiscal matters, she said.
\nYousaf Raza Gilani, Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan and head of Delegation, stated: \u201cThis visit reflects the enduring and close ties between Pakistan and the European Union, highlighting our shared commitment to fostering democratic governance and addressing common challenges.
\nHe said that by learning from the successful Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) models implemented in Austria and Ireland, \u201cwe aim to establish a framework in Pakistan that promotes transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility.\u201d
\nChairman Senate said this will empower our federal parliament and provincial assemblies with data-driven insights for more informed budgetary decisions.
\n\u201cWe extend our deepest appreciation to the parliaments of Ireland and Austria and their leadership for their invaluable cooperation and support. Their experiences will provide us with practical knowledge and best practices to guide the establishment of a PBO in Pakistan, strengthening our democratic institutions and enhancing responsible governance.\u201d
\nThe visit will focus on observing the operational models of the Austrian and Irish PBOs, both established in the last decade, to address critical challenges such as budget transparency and parliamentary independence.
\nAustria\u2019s PBO, established in 2012, enhances parliament\u2019s role in budgetary discussions through independent expertise, while Ireland\u2019s PBO, modelled on the Westminster system, provides a familiar framework for Pakistan\u2019s legislators.
\nMrs. Andrea Wicke, Ambassador of Austria to Pakistan, noted: \u201cThe establishment of PBOs strengthens the accountability and transparency of governance.
\nWe are delighted to host Pakistan\u2019s delegation and share Austria\u2019s journey in creating an independent budget office.\u201d Mr Declan Johnston, Deputy Ambassador of Ireland to Pakistan, emphasised: \u201cWell-informed and quality independent advice and analysis is crucial in facilitating any parliament to fulfil its mandate. Ireland\u2019s Parliamentary Budget Office was established in 2017, and provides independent and impartial information, analysis and advice to our parliamentarians as they address the pivotal economic questions and issues of the day. We are very excited to have the opportunity to share our experiences with Pakistani parliamentarians, as they similarly seek to deliver high quality and effective economic legislation and policy for their constituents.\u201d
\nThe parliamentarians visit aligns with Mustehkam Parlimaan\u2019s objectives of supporting the National Parliament and Provincial Assemblies in legislative capacity-building, oversight enhancement, and inclusive governance. It will also enable participants to develop an action plan for establishing a PBO in Pakistan, informed by best practices from Austria and Ireland.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD The European Union Delegation to Pakistan hosted a pre-departure reception ahead of a visit of Pakistan\u2019s Parliamentarians to the Parliaments and Parliamentary Budget Offices (PBOs) of Austria and Ireland. This high-level delegation, comprising 23 distinguished members, is led by the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, said a press release issued by EU embassy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":457675,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-457649","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n