Islamabad, December 13, 2019: Tabeer/PILDAT successfully concluded the second cohort of the Young Politicians' Fellowship Programme with a Knowledge Management Workshop in a bid to transmit the blueprint of the Fellowship Programme to Political Parties in Pakistan. Tabeer/PILDAT selected 27 of the brightest young politicians from political parties represented in the National/Provincial Assemblies of Pakistan to provide them with a unique learning platform.

Political leadership at the event included Senator Mir Tahir Bizenjo, Senior Leader (NP), Dr. Farid Ahmed Piracha, Naib Amir (JIP), Mr. Aslam Ghauri, Deputy Secretary General (JUI-F), Syed Amin Ul Haque, MNA and Member Rabita Committee (MQM-P), Mr. Sher Ali Arbab, MNA and Additional Secretary General (PTI), Mr. Rizwan Mumtaz, Senior Leader(PML), and Mr. Musaddiq Ghumman, Joint Secretary (PTI).

The participants were provided a blueprint for conducting the fellowship programmes in their political parties in the form of a report and a video tutorial. The participants vowed to take similar initiatives amongst their political parties.

Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President PILDAT, opened the concluding ceremony/Knowledge Management Workshop which was attended by senior representatives of Political Parties who thanked Tabeer/PILDAT for their innovative initiatives to support democracy in Pakistan.

Mr. Ahsan Ali Ghori of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan was announced as Fellow of the Cohort, while Ms. Sadia Khan from Jamiat Ulama e Islam (Fazl Ur Rehman) and Ms. Fatima Mumtaz of Pakistan Peoples Party stood second and third respectively.

27 Fellows belonging to 10 political parties were awarded fellowship certificates. The graduating cohort of YPFP November-December 2019, included Barrister Adil Kahlon (PTI), Dr. Ashfaq Munir (PTI), Ms. Qurrat ul Ain Dahar (PTI), Ms. Sehrish Naz (PTI), Mr. Yassar Talib (PTI), Mr. Adil Shahbaz (PML-N), Ms. Amina Hassan Sheikh (PML-N), Ms. Javeria Hameed (PML-N), Mr. Khurram Tariq (PML-N), Mr. Mahboob Mohsin (PML-N), Ms. Fatima Mumtaz (PPP), Ms. Fouzia Zar (PPP), Mr. Javed Nayab Laghari (PPP), Mr. Muhammad Raza Khan (PPP), Mr. Ahsan Ali Ghori (MQM-P), Mr. Muhammad Bilal Shaikh (MQM-P), Mr. Muhammad Hasnain Qureshi (MQM-P), Mr. Muhammad Saddique Madni (JUI-F), Ms. Sadia Khan (JUI-F), Mr. Zohaib Soomro (JUI-F), Mr. Maaz Ahmed Kakakhel (JIP), Mr. Amin Ur Rasheed (ANP), Mr. Muhammad Asif Khan (ANP), Mr. Younas Zada (ANP), Ms. Meena Baloch (BAP), Mr. Qasim Sarfraz (PML) and Mr. Saad Dehwar Baloch (NP).

Earlier in March-April 2019, YPFP Cohort 1 had successfully completed the four weeks training programme. The current programme spread over a period of 4 weeks consisted of various political education activities at Islamabad consisting of roundtable discussions with renowned leaders and experts in their respective fields. Various successful and prominent politicians shared their experiences with the fellows. It also consisted of Study Visits to the parliamentary institutions and meetings with senior public officials based in Islamabad and/or Provincial Capitals. Fellows also did a week of residency at the secretariat of the concerned political party and participation in party activities such as meetings and discussion with senior Party Leadership; observing meetings of party institutions such as the Executive Committee, Policy Planning Wing; Observing and assisting Party Secretariat. Lastly, fellows worked on and finalised a policy brief which they presented to a panel of experts. Their overall performance was evaluated and graded.

The YPFP was managed on behalf of PILDAT by Ms. Amna Kausar, Manager of YPFP and Mir Sanaullah Khan and Syed Razi Gilani, Project Officers.