NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — Pakistan is due to push for an Asian Parliament in the Asian Parliamentary Assembly that began on Tuesday. The Assembly has more than 70 attendees from 25 countries including Pakistan's rival, India.
The Assembly got underway with its inauguration by Pakistan Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
Asian Parliamentary Assembly meeting underway for creation of #Asian Parliament #APA #Cooperation pic.twitter.com/Me9Il9wKlQ
— Malik M. Uzair Khan (@MMUzairK) 14 марта 2017 г.
Parliamentarians Shashi Tharoor, Meenakshi Lekhi and Swapan Dasgupta are representing India in the Asian Parliamentary Assembly.
The Indian parliamentary delegation at the #AsianParliamentaryAssembly Political Affairs Committee meeting in Islamabad @M_Lekhi @swapan55 pic.twitter.com/8uQW97AwKH
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) 14 марта 2017 г.
Asia is facing diverse political, economic, social and cultural challenges, especially extremism, and it can be addressed if we emphasize on our collective identity rather than excluding or blaming each other, said Ali Khurram, the Secretary General of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly.
Secretary General Asian Parliamentary Assembly Dr. Ali Khurram says Asia is facing diverse political,economic,social and cultural challenges pic.twitter.com/tSFE4ObWDM
— PBC Current Affairs (@RadioPak_NCAC) 14 марта 2017 г.
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said Asian countries can fight terrorism if they are united.
"We all in unison have to fight the challenges of poverty, terrorism and extremism in the region," said Sadiq.
During the five-day meeting, Pakistan is likely to present several resolutions, including one on the creation of the Asian Parliament.
The Asian Parliamentary Assembly was formed in 1999 when a group of parliamentarians from Asian countries decided to join hands for promoting peace and human rights and set up the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace in Dhaka, which, in 2004, became the Asian Parliamentary Assembly.
Pakistan is the vice president of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly and chairperson of Special Committee of Asian Parliament.
