Daily Times

Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani here on Thursday called upon the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) member countries to support placing Pakistan’s call for assistance in the current crisis as an emergency agenda item in the Kigali plenary, Rwanda in October current year.

The chairman had been formally approaching heads of Parliaments, Presiding officers and counterparts of various legislative bodies who are members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to garner support for placing Pakistan’s call for assistance in the current crisis as an emergency agenda item in the Kigali plenary, Rwanda.

Chairman Senate, earlier in his recent interaction with President IPU, also had given the suggestion to include Pakistan’s current situation arising out of floods as an emergency agenda item in the Kigali plenary at Rwanda, next month.

President IPU had expressed his consent in this regard and assured all his possible support. Chairman Senate sent his formal letters to 174 IPU member states and 14 associate members to highlight the urgency of the matter.

In addition to this, Chairman Senate will soon personally contact parliamentary heads, counterparts and Presiding Officers telephonically to seek support for the inclusion of the emergency agenda item. The Chairman Senate has called upon the friendly countries to come forward in these testing times as the enormity of calamity is high in magnitude.

Millions have been left homeless, crops worth millions washed away and infrastructure destroyed. “No state alone can handle crises of such high intensity,” he observed. He said that post relief process would need more resources and assistance. He said that IPU is an important platform for mutual collaboration, sharing experiences and supporting each other, especially those in need of assistance due to crisis.

He hoped that all the member states will support Pakistan’s call and place the flood situation as an emergency agenda item in the Kigali moot next month.