ISLAMABAD, July 29: The National Assembly was informed on Thursday that the US government was providing $14 million for training of Pakistani legislators through an NGO, for improving the responsiveness of national and provincial legislatures.

Established in 1950, World Vision is an international relief organization working to promote the well-being of all people, especially children. In 2003, the World Vision claims to have offered material, emotional, social and spiritual support to 100 million people in 99 countries.

The National Assembly was told that USAID released quarterly funds to World Vision that provided overall coordination and distributed funds to its partners including Pakistan Institute for Legislative Training (PILDAT), The Researchers-Citizens Commission for Human Development, Integrated Research and Development Organization, Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan and International Foundation for Election Systems.

The $14 million amount, to be spent in phases through a consortium of national and international NGOs, Pakistan Legislative Strengthening Consortium (PLSC), is the biggest ever grant for improving representation and responsiveness of the constitutionally-sovereign parliament of Pakistan by the US government.

In response to a question by Mohammad Hussain Mehanti, the economic affairs and statistics division informed the lower house that allocations by the US government amounted to $5 million for 2003 and 2004 each while $4 million would be spent in 2005.

"In October 2003, USAID competitively awarded a three-year $14 million grant to the Pakistan Legislative Strengthening Consortium, a Consortium of Pakistani and international NGOs to help support legislative governance in Pakistan," said the government.

The house was told that consortium of NGOs was selected by a committee comprising members of USAID, DFID and the government of Pakistan. The NGOs would utilize the funds for legislative training, civil society development and media and outreach projects.

The house was informed that Pakistan Institute for Legislative Training (PILDAT), was focussing on training the parliamentarians in legislative business. PILDAT's board of directors among others included President Musharraf's legal adviser, Senator S.M. Zafar, Mujeebur Rehman Shami, Dr Ijaz Shafi Gillani, Haneef Ramay, Dr Nasim Ashraf, Dr Doniya Aziz and UK and US-based Pakistanis.

The NGO appeared as an NGO in 2001 and won the US funding for legislative training of parliamentarians. It has organized various training workshops, seminars and overseas tours for parliamentarians to Western countries.

It's publications claim to have trained more than 70 per cent of Pakistani legislators from across the party divide including those belonging to the religious Islamic coalition of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

The media and outreach project envisions setting up of a TV station to broadcast live proceedings of the parliament for which a US-based NGO is a front runner through its partners in Pakistan.