Islamabad: Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) was invited to hold a session on Citizen Engagement and Parliament for Accountability and Trust with 25 senior officers at the National Police Academy, main campus. Executive Director and Director General (Research) PIPS Mr. Muhammad Rashid Mafzool Zaka, delivered an interactive session with twentyfive (25) mid-career officers from key institutions all over Pakistan responsible for law and order including Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Police department- ICT Police, Balochistan Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, Punjab Police, Sindh Police, GB Police, FC, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), National Highway and Motorway Police NHMP, Pakistan Airforce and Pakistan Railways police respectively. The session focused on promoting collaborative public management and enhancing accountability.

Mr Zaka highlighted the importance of citizen-centric governance, emphasizing that effective engagement fosters transparency, trust, and accountability between the state institutions and its people. Participants were introduced to the democratic theory, focusing on the role of Parliament as a representative body that enacts laws and oversees the government. ED, PIPS explained the gist of first two chapters of Constitution on fundamental rights and principles of policy, i.e. inclusive democracy where well being of every individual and protection of life, property and faith remains the first priority of government and all institutions aim to empathize with citizens especially the vulnerable communities to ensure fulfillment of the primary protection of all.

The Executive Director PIPS also conducted interactive exercise with participants to help them develop essential insights on Rules of Business 1973 that highlights need for public officers to be accountable to the masses as well as the elected Parliament. He also elaborated how Rules of Procedures of National Parliament and provincial officers are to be applied and complied with by public official to be answerable to Parliament in terms of evidence desired by committees or replying most accurately to a Question asked by MPs on floor of the house about the working of respective institution.

Last but not the least, Mr Zaka elucidated practical methods for improving citizen engagement were also discussed in details, such as public hearings, volunteerism, community surveys, and participatory budgeting. Special emphasis was placed on using digital platforms to create avenues for continuous engagement and promoting transparency through the Right to Information laws.

The above session by PIPS Executive Director/Director General (Research) was hosted by the National Police Academy in close collaboration of Accountability Lab, as integral part of a three-day workshop “Improving Financial Investigation Techniques and Citizen Engagement for Enhanced Accountability and Citizens Trust in State Institutions,”from September 23 to 25, 2024. The workshop was designed to equip mid-career law enforcement officers from different departments across the country with the critical skills necessary to identify and combat financial crimes effectively and strategies for effective citizen engagement. The Director National Police Academy presented the vote of thanks for ED PIPS and presented the Sovernior to Muhammad Rashid Mafzool Zaka. Mr. Zaka also presented two sets of PIPS recent publications for NPA library to the hosts. Mr Farhan Khalid of Accountability Lab, being the co host recorded the minutes of the session.