`A strong message to anti-democracy forces`
2014-11-30
LAHORE: Senate Chairman and Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) President Syed Nayyar Husain Bukhari said on Saturday the conference would send a strong message to anti-democracy forces in the Asia continent.
The APA conference would, in fact, strengthen democratic institutions, besides opening fresh opportunities for economic cooperation, he said in a statement, welcoming the APA delegates arriving here to attend the Second Executive Council and the Seventh Plenary Session (Dec 1-3).
He said the event would be a great opportunity for the member parliaments to further collaboratefor removing barriers to Asian integration, and actively contribute to the formulation of an Asian Parliament.
He said it was a great honour for the people of Pakistan to host the mega event in the city of Lahore.
He urged the delegates to devise a strategy to extend a helping hand to each other and to think about ways and means for benefiting from the initiative.
About future of the proposed Asian Assembly, Mr Bukhari said the APA vision would be reflected in the Lahore Declaration to be issued in the conference.
He said it was a monumental event in the history of Pakistan`s foreign relations as 206 lawmakers from 41 countries representing some four billion people, that is, half the world population, were gathering in the city to pursue their dream of Asian integration in what was being trumpeted as the Asian century.
Seventeen parliaments including Australia, Japan and Turkmenistanwere participating as observers.
Mr Bukhari said the event was reminiscent of 1974 Second Islamic Summit Conference that brought together great leaders of the time in Lahore.
The gathering, he said, was very significant in terms of demography, economic prowess and manpower of the members, he said.`The APA must demonstrate the vision and the will to promote an Asian worldview that sees peaceful rise of Asia so that it emerges as a pillar ofpeace, progress and prosperity, with no overlords and no underdogs,` he added.
Mr Bukhari was elected the assembly head for two years.
