A meeting of the CPA Asia Regional Branch Secretaries took place at the Old Assembly Building in Karachi on 4 February 2026 to deliberate the draft of the CPA Asia Parliamentary Exchange Programme. The proceedings were led by the host Secretary of the Sindh Assembly, Mr. G.M. Umar Farooq, who welcomed delegates and steered discussions on the programme framework.
The Pakistani delegation was headed by the Special Secretary and CPA Asia Branch Secretary, Mr. Syed Shamoon Ashraf Hashmi. Representatives from the parliamentary secretariats of Pakistan, Malaysia and the Maldives attended the session, contributing to a regional dialogue on practical arrangements and objectives for the exchange.
Participants agreed to finalise a short-term exchange programme under the CPA Asia Exchange model, proposing visits ranging from five to seven days. Delegates emphasised that the programme should deliver targeted institutional capacity building and enhancement of democratic competencies for secretariat staff across member parliaments.
Attendees described the CPA Asia Exchange as an important step towards strengthening parliamentary linkages in the region. For Pakistan, the initiative offers hands-on opportunities for parliamentary officials to observe best practices, share procedural experience and build lasting cooperation with counterparts in Malaysia and the Maldives.
