ISLAMABAD, Dec 21: Speaker National Assembly Chaudhry Amir Hussain on Saturday asked the legislators to maintain a constant contact with the people to fulfil important duty of enacting laws for development of the country.

The speaker was talking to the participants of a conference on “Legislative Strengthening: Challenges and Opportunities”, which was organized by Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme.

“The legislators should stay open to people to acquaint themselves with the problems faced by the masses, which will make them better equipped to carry out business of legislation,” he said.

The parliamentarians should always give top priority to issues, which are in public interest, he added.

The speaker said legislature was a vital organ of the state as defined in the Constitution and underlined that democracy couldn’t be strengthened without strengthening the legislature. The civil society should also play its role in legislation of laws by creating awareness on various issues.

The deputy speaker Sindh assembly, Rahila Tiwana, said that elected representatives should be aware of their responsibilities. They should work diligently to serve the masses, she added.

The deputy speaker favoured training workshops for the parliamentarians to enhance their skills.

She said both the government and opposition party had the equal responsibility of running the democratic system.

Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau Daniyal Aziz said non-party elections of 1985 were the worst because members of local bodies were elected to the provincial assemblies. The leaders managed their constituencies on the lines of local bodies system, which resulted in rampant corruption, he added.

Former Senator Iqbal Haider; PPP leader in Sindh Nisar Khoro, S. M. Zafar, Ijaz Shafi Gillani, Nasim Zehra, and Ahmed Bilal of the PILDAT also expressed their views on the occasion.—APP