National Assembly to host 18th Speakers Conference

ISLAMABAD: After a ten-year gap, the National Assembly Secretariat is set to host the 18th Speakers’ Conference at the Parliament House, tentatively on December 19th, 20th 2024.

This two-day conference will bring together speakers and presiding officers of Pakistan’s legislatures, along with their respective parliamentary delegations, to deliberate on a shared vision for legislative progress. The last such conference was held in 2014, and the much delayed annual affair is now scheduled to take place tentatively on Dec 19th and 2Oth 2024.

Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who previously led the 17th Speakers’ Conference in 2014, will once again oversee this forum. It will mark a decade of sustained efforts to enhance legislative practices in Pakistan. This time-honoured parliamentary tradition aims to equip parliamentary institutions to effectively address current and future challenges while fostering greater cooperation among legislatures. In preparation for the 18th Speakers’ Conference, a secretaries’ conference will be held on 11th December 2024 at the Parliament House, Islamabad. This will serve as a preparatory session to finalise the agenda for the Speakers' Conference and ensure alignment among legislative bodies.

The secretaries’ conference will be attended by secretaries of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, Provincial Assembly of Sindh, Legislative Assembly of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan Assembly. They will deliberate on agenda items proposed by their respective legislatures and review the implementation status of decisions taken during the Speakers’ Conference.

The 18th Speakers’ Conference will focus on several critical legislative themes. They include strengthening the institution of whips to ensure discipline and proficiency in parliamentary proceedings, implementing the newly inserted Article 9-A of the Constitution to overcome climate change, and reforming legislative procedures to promote transparency and effectiveness. Other significant agenda items include establishing a credible Virtual Parliament to enhance accessibility, fostering stronger ties between Parliament and the people, and revising the Rules of Procedure to streamline legislative processes.