Senate to host Asian Parliamentary Assembly

Islamabad, November 26, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Senate of Pakistan has announced the hosting of the biggest ever conference in Pakistan’s parliamentary history, the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), in Islamabad during December 8-10, 2013.

This was announced by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who is Chairman, Organizing Committee of APA, at a press briefing at Parliamentary House today. The APA is an Asiawide organization bringing together parliaments from all the Asian countries. About 25 countries, representing parliaments and parliamentarians from all over Asia, have confirmed to participate in this conference which will include nearly 200 delegates.

The APA, which last met in Damascus in 2010, this time has a very relevant conference theme, namely, “Asian Century: Cooperation in Economy, Energy and Environment”, and at the end of the conference, the Islamabad Declaration will be issued to promote this theme of the Asian Century.

By virtue of Pakistan’s hosting the APA, the Chairman of the Senate, Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari is expected to be unanimously elected as the new President of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, which will be a great honour for Pakistan, testifying to international recognition of Pakistan’s role as a vibrant, dynamic democracy.

The conference will be open to media and a special media centre will be established at Serena Hotel to facilitate media coverage of this important conference. The Senate of Pakistan has also arranged live streaming of this conference through its especially dedicated website: www.asianparliament.org.pk

The Senate of Pakistan has also made arrangements to facilitate media coverage and media interviews of Asian Parliamentary leaders during the conference.

During the briefing, Senator Mushahid Hussain said that the conference is being held at a very important moment in the history of Asia when the balance of power is shifting from the West to the East and it is now generally recognised that the 21st Century would be the “Asian Century”. In this context, he said it is imperative that the elected representatives of the people of Asia must shape the destiny and future of Asia so that the problems of world’s biggest continent can be resolved by Asians themselves.

Senator Mushahid Hussain said that this conference would, Inshallah not only enhance the image of Pakistan since Pakistan is playing a pivotal role in the most strategic region of Asia, but also on the pressing issues such as economy, energy and the environment, the APA would seek to present a way-forward.

During the briefing, the official website of the APA 6th Conference was also formally launched and this active and informative website has a famous couplet of Pakistan’s national poet, Allama Mohammad Iqbal, where the Poet of the East had foreseen the rise and emergence of the Asian Century as far back as 80 years ago. The press conference was widely attended and the media showed great interests in the upcoming conference.

Senator Mushahid Hussain thanked the media for their interest and hope that the media would work as a partner of the Senate of Pakistan in making this conference a big success.

For more information, contact:
Public Service Obligation to Chairman
Syed Hasnain Haider
Senate of Pakistan
Tel: +9251 920 4564 534
Fax: +9251 920 5703
H.No.7, Cat-II, G-8/2,
Islamabad.
Web: www.senate.gov.pk
E-mail: senate@comsats.net.pk