Senate of Pakistan, the House of Federation, is hosting a wide array of Asian parliamentary representatives at Gwadar, the future hub of Asian trade, in connection with committee meetings of Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) from October 29-31.
The committee meetings will host parliamentary delegates from 26 Asian countries including Inter-Parliamentary Union secretary general and will deliberate on matters of mutual interest to Asian region in terms of political affairs, economic trade and other regional issues in addition to passing historic declarations and resolutions. The APA meetings at Gwadar aim to bring parliamentary leadership together in promoting peace and development.
Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani along with Leader Of The House In Senate Shibli Faraz, Senators Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Javed Abbassi, Sitara Ayaz, Shamim Afridi and Senate Secretary Amjed Pervez Malik briefed the media about the objectives and arrangements of the event.
The senate chairman said that Gwadar is the future economic hub of the country. The purpose of the holding of this international conference is to highlight its economic importance as well as giving a message that Pakistan is a peaceful country with enormous investment potential. The new city of Gwadar is being established as a centre of economic activity for the whole region. The member countries of the APA would deliberate on future prospects for economic cooperation.
He said that the inaugural ceremony will be held on October 29, 2018 and will be followed by a meeting of Special Committee on Creation of Asian Parliament on the same day and meeting of Standing Committee on Political Affairs on October 30 at a local hotel in Gwadar. The meetings will lead to discussion on resolutions which will consequently be brought before the assembly.
The resolutions to be adopted by the APA Standing Committee on Political Affairs relate to rule of law and judicial empowerment in the Asian region, building prosperity in Asia through friendship and cooperation, bringing Asian parliaments and governments together for prosperity in Asia, promoting good parliamentary practices. Senate of Pakistan will put before the assembly the proposal of ‘development through democracy’ suggesting this system of governance as the most important tool for peace, prosperity and development.
APA traces its history back to the establishment of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP) in September 1999 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, when a group of Asian parliamentarians decided to join forces towards promoting peace and human rights in Asia. In the year 2006, AAPP was converted into APA in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
The senate of Pakistan has played a vibrant and active role in making Asian Parliamentary Assembly an active and useful tool for bringing Parliaments of Asian countries together under one roof and discuss options to make the region more inclusive in terms of growth, development and prosperity. Holding the meetings in Gwadar is only natural for the Asian region whose future trade and business potential is going to be defined by this strategically located city of Pakistan.
Published in Daily Times, October 23rd 2018.