ISLAMABAD: The first SAARC Young Parliamentarians’ Conference is scheduled to commence in Islamabad today (Tuesday).
It will be attended by no less than 50 Members of Parliament from Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri lanka.
The Conference is an initiative by Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan, which will offer region’s young parliamentarians’ narrative as a prelude to the 19th SAARC Summit that Pakistan is going to host in November this year.
MNA Malik Uzair Khan, one of the youngest Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, has worked tirelessly as the Conference’s convener to plan the important conference that will offer Young Parliamentarians an opportunity to deliberate their perspectives regarding regional peace and harmony. It will be attended by the 50 Parliamentary delegates from the SAARC member Countries and six (06) international Experts would be participating as well.
India will be resented by delegation of four, Afghanistan by fourth, Nepal by four, Bhutan by five, Sri Lanka by six & Maldives by four parliamentary delegates.
SAARC Secretary General, Mr. Arjun Bahadur Thapa will be attending the conference as well as 25 young MPs from across all parliamentary parties from Pakistan.
The 1st SAARC Young Parliamentarians Conference (SYPC 2016) is being jointly hosted by National Assembly of Pakistan and the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services which is an exclusive parliamentary institute for parliamentarians and provincial legislatures.
During the Conference, the respective delegates will be highlighting voices of the youth being future of South Asia. It will also lay down the foundation of strong inter-parliamentary linkages across South Asia to setup a network that can help develop into a continued platform, nurture regional interaction, support democratic norms/ institutions and build a coalition for sustained dialogue and peaceful cooperation. With sub-themes such as peace and development, human rights, sustainable development, regional trade, cultural diplomacy, youth issues and social inclusion. The conference will conclude with Islamabad Declaration on the final day.