Young Parliamentarians Forum Holds Workshop on Better Lawmaking and Governance

ISLAMABAD: The Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) of the National Assembly has launched a two-day Post-Legislative Scrutiny (PLS) Workshop to strengthen the capacity of Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) in evaluating the implementation of laws and enhancing parliamentary oversight for improved governance.
Addressing the inaugural session, YPF President MNA Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar stressed that Parliament’s responsibility does not end with the passage of legislation. She said lawmakers must also assess whether laws are effectively implemented and achieving their intended objectives, adding that post-legislative scrutiny should become an institutional feature of Pakistan’s parliamentary system.
She noted that effective legislation should safeguard constitutional rights, reinforce democratic accountability, and contribute to better governance by ensuring that laws are implemented in both letter and spirit.
The opening session was attended by several members of the National Assembly, including Raja Osama Sarwar, Shahida Khan, Babar Nawaz Khan, Akhtar Bibi, Syed Shah Ahad Ali Shah, Shamaila Rana, Miqdad Ali Khan, Sadaf Ihsan, Danyal Chaudhary, Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi, and Neelum Kumari.
According to the organizers, the workshop is aimed at equipping parliamentarians with practical knowledge and internationally recognized tools to assess the effectiveness of legislation, identify implementation gaps, and recommend evidence-based improvements to existing laws. The initiative also seeks to strengthen Parliament’s oversight role and improve public sector governance.
During her remarks, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar highlighted the Young Parliamentarians Forum’s ongoing efforts to build the institutional capacity of its chapters across the country and encourage greater legislative effectiveness.
The event also featured welcome remarks by Raja Shoaib Akbar, Executive Director of the Shaoor Foundation for Education and Awareness (SFEA).
Technical sessions were conducted by Syed Shamoon Hashmi, Special Secretary (Special Initiatives) at the National Assembly Secretariat, who introduced participants to international best practices in post-legislative scrutiny, parliamentary oversight mechanisms, and methods for evaluating the implementation and impact of legislation.
An interactive session titled “Federal Budget and Youth Challenges” was led by Mukhtar Ahmad Ali, Executive Director of the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) and founder of the Citizens Network for Budget Accountability (CNBA). The discussion focused on the Federal Budget 2026–27 from a youth perspective and explored Parliament’s role in addressing youth-related issues through effective budget oversight.
Concluding the first day of the workshop, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar reaffirmed the Young Parliamentarians Forum’s commitment to making post-legislative scrutiny a core component of parliamentary oversight. She expressed confidence that the recommendations emerging from the workshop would strengthen parliamentary committees and support a more transparent, accountable, and citizen-focused legislative process in Pakistan.