On February 8, 2025, a significant meeting took place between the leadership of the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) on the sidelines of 1st Joint CPA Asia & South-East Asia Regional Conference at the Punjab Assembly Secretariat in Lahore. The meeting was attended by Mr. Asim Khan Goraya, Executive Director, PIPS, Mr. Jarvis Matiya, Deputy Secretary-General of CPA, Mr. Muhammad Rashid Mafzool Zaka, Director General (Research), PIPS, Ms. Samar Awais Director General (PDP), PIPS, Mr. Muhammad Rizwan Manzoor, Assistant Director (Research), PIPS, Mr. Naeem Shoukat, Assistant Director (CPD), PIPS and Mr. Oz Russell, Communication Officer, CPA.

The discussions began with Mr. Asim Khan Goraya expressing PIPS’ deep appreciation for CPA’s unwavering commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and fostering parliamentary exchanges across the Commonwealth. He highlighted the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between PIPS and CPA in May 2023, which laid the foundation for a robust partnership.

PIPS also shared its vision of becoming CPA’s Regional Training School, offering specialized training programs for MPs and parliamentary staffers. This initiative seeks to position PIPS as a center of excellence for parliamentary learning in Asia and beyond. Additionally, PIPS emphasized its commitment to capacity building, proposing faculty and staff exchanges with CPA to share best practices in parliamentary procedures, legislative innovations, and governance frameworks.

In response, Mr. Jarvis Matiya thanked PIPS for its remarks and reaffirmed CPA’s commitment to deepening collaboration with PIPS. He welcomed the proposal for a joint event for international parliamentarians and assured that the proposal would be presented to CPA’s higher management for further action. Mr. Matiya commended PIPS’ focus on capacity building for young officials, emphasizing its importance for institutional development. He assured full support for PIPS’ inclusion in future CPA events and extended an invitation to the Executive Director of PIPS to visit the CPA Secretariat in London. In return, Mr. Goraya invited Mr. Matiya to visit PIPS’ Islamabad office, with both invitations being accepted.

The meeting underscored the strong partnership between PIPS and CPA, with both organizations expressing mutual appreciation for each other’s contributions to parliamentary development. The discussions laid the groundwork for enhanced cooperation, including joint initiatives, capacity-building programs, and regional workshops, aimed at strengthening democratic institutions and fostering parliamentary excellence across the Commonwealth.