The Annual Report of PILDAT, covering the period from July 01, 2004 to June 30, 2005, reflects the vibrancy, variety and the quality of PILDAT initiatives, research and publications during the period. The report also presents an account of the active participation of legislative and political elements in PILDAT activities and attempts to provide concise information relating to those.
In terms of the impact of its work, PILDAT considers it to be a huge achievement that what it had set out to do is getting more and more visible. In 2002, after the General Election, PILDAT believed that filling the gap of quality research and legislative support to Parliamentarians is important, but in a long term perspective, it is equally important to create a ‘need’ in them that they require and demand research support, trained staff and offices in order to carry out their duties as elected legislators. In its modest capacity and continuous interaction with legislators as the sole legislative strengthening organization around, PILDAT feels proud that the legislators have been sensitised enough today that they do not only appreciate the ‘need,’ it has manifested itself in the shape of a few resolutions in the Parliament that MPs require and demand this support from the legislature itself. As a result of the articulation of this need, the legislative secretariats, together with development agencies working in the field, are getting more and more focused to deliver the needed services.
This year, PILDAT held a variety of legislative capability-building sessions for legislators while it consolidated the curriculum of legislative training programme through preparing and compiling 31 publications including briefing and background papers, case studies and reports and proceedings of legislative strengthening activities in addition to its other work. Based on its legislative strengthening experience, PILDAT prepared an outline of the Parliamentary Orientation Curriculum for Members & Staff of Parliament which was shared with the Parliament.
PILDAT launched the programme of Dialogue for Broader Consensus – DBC in an effort to promote a broader consensus leading to a more democratic and stable society which is at peace with itself and with the world around it. Major areas under this programme included the Civil-Military Dialogue; Dialogue on Free, Fair and Credible Elections with the indigenous political parties and the regional and international players; Dialogue between provincial and local representatives and between different faiths and ideologies. PILDAT also undertook work on the area of promoting Parliamentary oversight of the security sector in association with Parliamentary committees on Defence and international partners such as the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces – DCAE PILDAT especially focused on working with Parliamentary committees during this year so as to strengthen their capacities in the areas of research, interaction with civil society and transparency and access through the use of print and communication technologies. A Parliamentary Internship Programme for the Senate of Pakistan was also undertaken to provide intern support to committees. PILDAT designed and facilitated 2 legislative study tours during the period to India and the United States to provide learning opportunities about international legislative systems to Pakistani parliamentarians while it also coordinated with the American Council of Young Political Leaders – ACYPL to select a delegation of Pakistani MPA for a tour of the US.
