Nazir Siyal /DNA
KARACHI: A delegation from the European Union, led by Mr. Jeroen Willems, Head of Cooperation, called on the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, Syed Awais Qadir Shah, at his office on Wednesday.
The delegation included Dr. Sebastien Lorion, Team Leader for Governance and Human Capital Development, and Ms. Brekhna Ajmal, Programme Manager for Parliaments and Gender Equality.
The Honourable Speaker was accompanied by MPA Tanzeela Qambrani, Secretary Provincial Assembly Mr. G.M. Umar Farooq, Director General Media Mr. Irfan Ahmed Memon, and Ms. Huma Ikramullah.
Discussions focused on the progress of ongoing collaborative efforts, including the Mustehkam Parlimaan program and its role in strengthening the strategic planning of the Sindh Assembly. The Speaker appreciated the continued cooperation and discussed future support avenues.
The delegation also reviewed the e-Parliament initiative, a project where the European Union will assist in digitizing the Assembly by providing modern technology and equipment to facilitate a transition toward a paperless legislative environment.
Additionally, the EU delegation shared details of an upcoming initiative—the Pakistan Women Leaders Program—being developed in collaboration with UN Women. This program aims to build the capacity of the Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) by addressing issues such as harassment during election campaigns, cybercrime challenges faced by women legislators, and efforts to enhance women’s voter registration across Sindh.
The Speaker expressed his strong support for these initiatives and reiterated his commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment within the legislative process. He acknowledged the role of the EU as a key development partner and assured full cooperation from the Assembly’s leadership.
Later, the Honourable Speaker personally guided the delegation on a tour of the new hall of the Sindh Assembly, where he briefed them on the planned technological installations under the EU-supported digitization program.
In conclusion, Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah thanked Mr. Jeroen Willems and his delegation for their continued engagement and invaluable support to the democratic and institutional strengthening of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh.
