A meeting of the CPA Asia Regional Branch Secretaries took place at the Old Assembly Building in Karachi on 4 February 2026 to deliberate the draft Parliamentary Exchange Programme and map next steps for regional collaboration.
The proceedings were led by the host Secretary of the Sindh Assembly, Mr. G.M. Umar Farooq, who guided discussions on programme scope and objectives.
The Pakistani delegation was headed by the Special Secretary and CPA Asia Branch Secretary, Mr. Syed Shamoon Ashraf Hashmi, and representatives from the parliamentary secretariats of Pakistan, Malaysia and the Maldives attended the meeting to share perspectives and priorities.
Participants agreed to finalise a framework for a short term exchange programme ranging from five to seven days, designed to enhance practical learning and staff exposure across legislatures. Delegates described the Parliamentary Exchange as a key step toward institutional capacity building, strengthening parliamentary linkages and enhancing democratic competencies within the region.
With consensus on the programme structure, officials signalled intent to move forward on detailed arrangements and timelines so the exchange can support parliamentary development across CPA Asia member secretariats.
