ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday called for the revival of student unions and the establishment of a strong and empowered local government system, terming both essential for preparing future leadership and strengthening democracy.
Addressing a UNICEF-organised workshop titled “Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight of Public Expenditure Management” in Islamabad, he said the nurseries of leadership at the grassroots level had become dormant and needed to be revived to address the leadership vacuum in the country.
Referring to his own political journey, Mr Gilani said he began his career at the local level and later rose to become prime minister of Pakistan, besides serving in various constitutional positions. He said empowered local governments at the district and tehsil levels were vital for good governance, transparency, accountability and effective utilisation of public funds.
The Senate chairman said transparent, efficient and responsible use of public resources was a constitutional responsibility of parliament and necessary for maintaining public trust. He added that parliament’s role should not remain confined to budget approval, but must also include ensuring that national resources were properly utilised and their benefits reached the people.
He said budgetary allocations alone could not guarantee development outcomes unless funds were released in time, institutions discharged their responsibilities and public expenditure resulted in tangible improvements in people’s lives. He stressed that every rupee spent from the public exchequer must deliver measurable results in terms of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
Highlighting Pakistan’s development challenges and limited financial resources, Mr Gilani called for effective parliamentary oversight of key sectors, including education, health, nutrition, sanitation and social protection. He said parliamentary committees must ensure that resources reached deserving segments of society and were used for their intended purposes.
Referring to Sustainable Development Goal 16, he said accountable, transparent and effective institutions were fundamental to sustainable development. He urged public accounts committees to move beyond identifying financial irregularities and examine their underlying causes, including weak planning, internal controls, procurement procedures and project implementation.
He said such committees should also recommend institutional reforms and corrective measures. Audit observations, he added, should be prioritised on the basis of financial significance, recurring irregularities, systemic weaknesses and their impact on public interest.
The Senate chairman also underlined the need to strengthen parliamentary committees through professional support, access to reliable information, coordination with the Office of the Auditor General, capacity-building of members and enhanced analytical capabilities for effective budget scrutiny.
He said parliamentary accountability must remain impartial, evidence-based and constructive so that institutional performance and public service delivery could be improved.
The workshop was also addressed by Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Prof Ahsan Iqbal, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, Auditor General of Pakistan Maqbool Ahmad Gondal and UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Pernille Ironside, among other participants.
Concluding his address, Mr Gilani appreciated UNICEF’s efforts to strengthen parliamentary oversight, transparency and public financial accountability. He expressed the hope that the workshop would generate practical recommendations to ensure effective utilisation of national resources and bring meaningful improvements in people’s lives.
