PILDAT collaborates with ACYPL to host US Legislators

PILDAT joined hands with the American Council of Young Political Leaders – ACYPL as their Programme Partners in Pakistan for designing, arranging and managing a visit of a group of US State Senators to Pakistan from April 02-12, 2006. The 7-member visiting delegation included The Honorable Hector H. BALDERAS, Member, New Mexico House of Representatives; Ms. Ayelet HINES, Senior Strategic Communications Specialist, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees; Ms. Rachel ZAGRABELNY, Director, State Government Relations, International Council of Shopping Centers; Mr. Joseph Patrick ACHACOSO, Member, President’s National Hire Veterans Committee, US Department of Labor; The Honorable John BRUEGGEMAN, Member, Montana State Senate; The Honorable Mark MARTIN, Member, Arkansas House of Representatives and The Honorable Brian JOYCE, Member, Massachusetts State Senate.


As a part of their 11-day visit, the delegation held meetings with the Honourable Mr. Mohammedmian Soomro, Chairman Senate, Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, Minister of State for Finance, Mr. Daniyal Aziz, Federal Minister and Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau – NRB, Raja Javed Ikhlas, Nazim (Lord Mayor), Rawalpindi City District Government, Amer Mahmood, District Nazim (Lord Mayor), Lahore, Federal Relief Commissioner: Major General Farooq Ahmed Khan, Mr. Khursheed Mehmud Kasuri, MNA, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Secretary Ministry of Information, Mr. Shahid Rafi, Ms. Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Chairperson NCSW. The design of the study tour combined roundtable discussions on topics such as Tools employed for Political Management, Dialogue between Muslim World and the West, and People and the Legislatures. The delegation also held interactions with office bearers and legislators of leading political parties of Pakistan including the ruling PML, PML-N, PPPP, JI and MQM. The programme also included the delegates’ interaction with students and faculty of International Relations Dept of Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad. The delegation was hosted to a number of luncheons and dinners by leading members of the business and political community alongside the United States Embassy in Pakistan.

Day 1 – Sunday, April 02, 2006; Islamabad

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Time

Activity

10600 Hrs  

Arrival at Islamabad International Airport 

1615 -1700

Briefing by the US Regional Security Officer

1730-1930  

Reception and Briefing to the delegates by Mr. Peter Kovach, Counselor for Public Affairs, US Embassy   

2000- 2200

Dinner hosted by Honourable Mr. Mohammed Mian Soomro, Chairman Senate  

Day 2 – Monday, April 03, 2006; Islamabad

Time

Activity

1000 -1115

 

Briefing by Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Ashafque Ahmed Khan, DG, Ministry of Finance

1900 – 2100  

Dinner, Hosted by US Embassy, Islamabad Keynote Speakers: Dr. Hasan-Askari Rizvi, Defence & Political Analyst, Former Chairman Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab. He also authored books: ‘Military, State and Society in Pakistan’; ‘Pakistan and the geostrategic environment’; ‘The Military and Politics in Pakistan, 1947-86’  

1400 – 1600  

Meeting with Raja Javed Ikhlas, Nazim (Lord Mayor), Rawalpindi City District Government & Working Lunch  

1130 -1300

Briefing by Mr. Daniyal Aziz, Federal Minister and Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau – NRB Topic: Local Government System of Pakistan

Day 3 – Tuesday, April 04, 2006; Islamabad

Time

Activity

09:00-11:00

 

 

 

 

 

Roundtable Discussion Topic: Tools employed for Political Management (Campaign Finance, Relations with Media, Liaison with Constituents etc.) in the US & Pakistan Participants: US: Mr. Hector H. Balderas, Member, New Mexico House of Representatives; Ms. Rachel Zagrabelny, Director, State Government Relations, Internal Council of Shopping Centers; Pakistan: Mr. Riaz Fatyana, MNA & Former Provincial Minister for Education, Punjab Opening Remarks by PILDAT: 5 minutes Format: 4 Keynote speeches (2 from US delegation and 2 from Pakistani side) of 7 minutes each followed by Q&A/Discussion

1130-1330

Visit to the Office of the ruling Political Party Pakistan Muslim League & Working Lunch Meeting with: Mr. Gohar Ayub Khan, Vice President PML, Former Speaker National Assembly & Minister for Foreign Affairs: Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Secretary General PML, Senator Sayed is also the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee & a former Federal Minister for Information & Media Development  

 1400-1530

Meeting with key officials of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami is one of the most well-organised political party of Pakistan. It is a part of the alliance called Muttehidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) which is the majority/ruling party in the NWFP Province and is a part of the ruling coalition in the Baluchistan province Participants: Mr. Fareed Ahmed Paracha, Member National Assembly, Mian Mohammad Aslam, Member National Assembly; Professor Mohammad Ibrahim, Senator;   

1530-1800

Visit to National Heritage Museum followed by a tour of Daman-e-Koh  

 2000-2100

Dinner hosted by Mr. Sadruddin Hashwani, Chairman Pakistan Services Limited

Day 4 – Wednesday, April 05, 2006; Islamabad

Time

Activity

0900-1700 

Site Seeing trip to PC Burhban 

2000-2200

Dinner Hosted by Mian Amer Mahmood, District Nazim (Lord Mayor), Lahore

Day 5 – Thursday, April 06, 2006; Islamabad

Time

Activity

1000 -1100  

Briefing by Federal Relief Commissioner: Major General Farooq Ahmed Khan at his office located at Prime Minister’s Secretariat  

1130-1400  

Meeting and exchange of views with the Faculty and selected students of the International Relations Department, Quaid-e-Azam University

1500-1600  

Meeting with Mr. Khursheed Mehmud Kasuri, MNA, Minister for Foreign Affairs  

1830-2100 

Meeting with and Dinner Hosted by Mr. Khalid Rafique, Director Habib Rafique  

Day 6 – Friday, April 07, 2006; Islamabad

Time

Activity

1000-1100

 

Meeting with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement –MQM (The political party is particularly strong in the urban areas of southern Sindh province; Party has 18 members in the National Assembly and is a part of the ruling coalition at the national level and in Sindh province) Participants: MQM: Mr. Kanwar Khalid Younis, Member National Assembly; Mr. Haider Abbas Rizvi, Member National Assembly; Mr. Faisal Sabzwari, Member Provincial Assembly of Sindh

1130-1230

Meeting with the Awami National Party – ANP (The political party’s base is in NWFP; it is a secular party, has no MNA currently but has  presence in NWFP Assembly) Participants: ANP: Mr. Ilyas Bilaur, Senator

 1300-1430

Lunch Hosted by Mr. Tariq Aziz

1500-1630

Meeting with the senior officials of the  Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian (PPPP- a left of the centre liberal party won the maximum popular votes in the 2002 election. Party secured the second position in terms of party members in the National Assembly. Party leader Ms. Benazir Bhutto is in self-imposed exile in Dubai) Participants: PPPP: Mr. Raza Rabbani, Leader of the Opposition in Senate; Mr. Anwar Beg, Senator; Ms. Sherry Rehman, Member National Assembly  

1630-1700

Dinner hosted by Mr. Sajid Salim’s at his Residence

Day 7 – Saturday, April 08, 2006; Islamabad

Time

Activity

0930-1330

 

 

 

 

 

Dialogue between ‘Muslim World and the West’ followed by Lunch Hosted by US Embassy, Islamabad Participants: US: Seven members of the delegation; PAKISTAN: Mr. Najam Sethi-Editor Daily Times; Mr. Mohammad Maalik, senior journalist, Ms. Shazia Marry-MPA Sindh Assembly; Dr. Atta ur Rehman-MNA; Mr. Khursheed Nadeem, Columnist, Daily Jang, Mr. Orya Maqbool Jan, Columist, Ms. Donya Aziz, Parliamentary Secretary Opening Remarks by PILDAT: 5 mins Format: Remarks by each of the 14 participants for 5-7 minutes each followed by a Discussion of about one hour  

 1500-1600  

Meeting with Secretary Ministry of Information, Mr. Shahid Rafi

2000-2200

Dinner hosted by Mr. Fasih Ahmed, Director Associated House, Introduced by Mr. Shahid Ahmed Khan of Boston

Day 8 – Sunday, April 09, 2006; Islamabad

Time

Activity

0900-1500

   

Site Seeing Trip to Kattas Temple, Lunch & back to Marriott Hotel Hosted by Ms. Maha Raja Tareen, MPA and an alumnus (2004) of ACYPL

2000-2130

Dinner Hosted by Mr. Abdul Kader Jaffer, Former Pakistan High Commissioner (Ambassador) to the UK, Introduced by Mr. Joseph Achacoso  

Day 9 – Monday April 10, 2006; Islamabad

Time

Activity

1030-1130
 

Roundtable Discussion and Lunch with ACYPL Alumini, Hosted by US Embassy, Islamabad Topic: People and the legislatures (Perspectives on how far legislatures are relevant to the needs and aspirations of the common people; How far are legislatures transparent? What is the level of interest of people in legislative business? Exchange of experiences of the ACYPL alumni) Participants: US delegation; Pakistan ACYPL alumni – Mr. Kamran Michael-MPA Punjab Assembly; Ms. Bushra Nawaz Gardezi-MPA Punjab Assembly; Ms. Maha Raja Tareen-MPA Punjab Assembly; Mr. Asif Iqbal Daudzai-Minister for Information NWFP, Ms. Humaira Alvani-MPA Sindh Assembly Opening Remarks by PILDAT: 5 minutes Format: Remarks by each of the 14 participants for 5 minutes each followed by open discussion moderated by PILDAT  

 1145-1245

Tour of the Parliament House &  Attending the Session of the National Assembly

1300-1400  

Resumption of the Roundtable Discussion and Lunch with ACYPL Alumini, Hosted by US Embassy, Islamabad 

 1430-1600

Briefing by Ms. Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Chairperson NCSW, Mrs. Suhela Asif, Secretary NCSW and Ms. Sofia Noreen, National Project Manager, NCSW

1630-1830

Reception/press conference at PAO residence with 15 journalists.

1900-2030 

Reception by His Excellency the Ambassador of the United States

Day 10 – Tuesday April 11, 45%6; Islamabad

Time

Activity

1445-1600

Interview of delegates with ARY TV and Aaj TV

Day 11 – Wednesday April 12, 45%6; Islamabad

Time

Activity

 0815  

Departure from Islamabad for London