Changes are afoot in Pakistan. The dramatic changes ushered in by the historic 2008 legislative elections resulted in a new governing coalition and more than 50 percent turnover in the membership of National Assembly and each of the four Provincial Assemblies. Many Members have never served in parliament or government before. 

Anticipating the new political dynamics and the large turnover, the U.S. Agency for International Development-funded Pakistan Legislative Strengthening Program (PLSP) spent months preparing, testing, and honing curricula for orientation sessions for new Members. The sessions aim to support a smooth transition and foster better, more collaborative governance. 

At the first National Assembly orientation, attendees spanned the political spectrum, from the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz to the Muttahida Quami Movement and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azim. The participants, representing constituencies all across Pakistan, were addressed by leading parliamentary figures—including experienced Members and local legal experts—who explained the duties and responsibilities of being a Member. 

During the discussion sessions, Members spoke to each other “with respect and optimism, despite the wide political gulf that existed between them,” noted Daud Malik, PLSP’s Representation Advisor. “The members were able to transcend their roles as political party members in order to talk about the issues Pakistan is confronting.” The level of preparation, interaction, and discussion also reflected unprecedented cooperation between the Offices of the Speaker and the Secretariat, the parliaments’ political and bureaucratic arms.

The National Assembly Members gathered at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services in Islamabad – a new training and research facility supported by PLSP in cooperation with the National Assembly Secretariat. Orientation modules included briefings on parliamentary procedure, government oversight tools, constituency/media relations, and Pakistan’s budgeting process. 

But to serve their country well, new Members will need more than these new tools. As one member said, “Our constitution and other rules are good, but the attitude and aim of parliamentarians has seemed very bad in the past. Parliamentarians need a will and spirit to serve the people.” Encouragingly, that commitment to service — and to see parliament as an independent institution — was much in evidence at the PLSP Member orientations. Pakistan’s ability to meet the governance challenges that lie ahead depends on it.