Pakistani delegation starts study visit to Indonesia

An eight-member Pakistani delegation facilitated by PILDAT and led by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Senate Committee on Defence has started off a study visit to Indonesia spanning from July 17 to July 20, 2017. As Pakistan and Indonesia share many common traits, including the journey towards democratic consolidation from military rule, the purpose of this study visit is to seek a deeper understanding of democratic consolidation in Indonesia just as Pakistan has begun its own longest uninterrupted spell of democratic governance in 2017.
The delegates attended a lecture on Monday by Jakob Tobing, who is one of the most prominent architects of the new democratic Indonesia. He played an instrumental role in Indonesia's transition from the authoritarian rule to democracy in 1998. Tobing gave an introduction to the making of the original 1945 constitution. He highlighted the reform process and its outcomes which included a constitutional democracy, rule of law, a check and balance mechanism, human rights, separation of religion from the state, a unitary form of government, devolution of powers, elections and most importantly, civil-military relations. The PILDAT delegation includes senior Parliamentarians, representatives of major political parties and members of PILDAT Dialogue Group on Civil Military Relations.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairperson, Senate Standing Committee on Defence; Chairperson Parliamentary Committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is leading the delegation which comprises Syed Naveed Qamar, MNA Chairperson, National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways, Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi, Chairperson, Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice; Oversight Committee on Eradication of Corruption from Federal Government Departments (PML-N), Senator Lt. Gen. Abdul Qayyum (retd), Chairperson, Senate Standing Committee on Defence Production Convener, Pakistan-France Parliamentary Friendship Group (PML-N), Lt. Gen. Moinuddin Haider (retd), former federal minister for interior, former Governor Sindh Province Syed Ali Zafar, Senior Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan; former President Supreme Court Bar Association Aasiya Riaz, Joint Director PILDAT and Amna Kausar, Projects Manager PILDAT.