ISLAMABAD: The maiden meeting of the first-ever parliamentary think-tank – Senate Forum for Policy Research (SFPR) – will be held here on Tuesday to discuss its own “structure and functioning”.

The Senate had approved in October last year formation of the 16-member forum by inserting eight new rules in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 2012.

The new rules define the composition, functions and responsibilities of the think-tank which will be responsible for “studying questions of public importance, recommending policy options and solutions and input on policy issues”.

Also read: Senate to amend its rules to form think tank

Senate Chairman Nayyar Bokhari will preside over the first meeting as “founder patron” of the forum. The meeting is also expected to elect chairman of the SFPR.

The forum comprises former senators – Wasim Sajjad, Latif Khosa, Chaudhry Anwer Bhinder, Javed Jabbar, Tariq Azeem, Salim Saifullah Khan, Dr Akbar Khwaja and Haroon Akhtar Khan – and sitting members of the Senate – Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq, PPP’s Parliamentary Leader Mian Raza Rabbani, Farooq Naek, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Afrasiab Khattak, Rafiq Rajwana, Mohsin Leghari and Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah.

The members have a three-year tenure and the Senate chairman, under the rules, will have to nominate new members within 30 days of the commencement of the term of the newly-elected members of the Senate under Clause (3) of Article 59 of the Constitution.

Talking to Dawn, Senator Mushahid Hussain ex­pressed the hope that the forum would strengthen the role of parliament, particularly in policymaking on key national issues.

Published in Dawn January 13th , 2015

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