By Asim Shahzad
LAHORE: two-day Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Asia and Southeast Asia Conference, held at the Punjab Assembly Lahore , concluded with the approval of the Charter of Lahore. Acting President of Pakistan, Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, was the chief guest of the closing ceremony. The conference emphasized democratic traditions, the supremacy of the Constitution and Parliament, effective legislation on climate change, women, youth, and minorities, as well as collective efforts to regulate Artificial intelligence and social media.
Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani stated that climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time. Discussing key issues, he said that the resolving of these issues is essential for a sustainable and inclusive future.He emphasized that legislation can empower individuals and strengthen society. He said , access to quality healthcare and education is the foundation of a prosperous society. He further noted that Southeast Asia faces challenges such as poverty and inequality. Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani said that Parliaments are not just legislative bodies but engines of change, and overcoming these challenges requires cross-border regional cooperation and shared responsibility.
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Speaking at the first joint CPA Asia and South East Asia Regional Conference at the Punjab Assembly on Saturday, Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani highlighted the importance of empowering local governments to strengthen democracy and improve public services. Local governance connects people directly with decision-makers, enhances accountability, and provides a platform for diverse voices. He emphasized that promoting devolution of power would make democracy more dynamic.Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani expressed his gratitude to the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) for making this conference possible. He also appreciated the leadership of Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for their key role in the success of this conference. He further noted that Southeast Asia, with its diverse cultures, histories, and economic opportunities, also faces significant challenges such as poverty, inequality, urban development, climate change, and rapid technological advancements. Addressing these issues requires urgent action, and this conference has provided an opportunity to discuss a collective strategy for environmental protection, sustainable urban living, and the conservation of natural resources.
The Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, while addressing the first joint Asia and Southeast Asia Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), emphasized the need for collective measures to address the socio-economic impacts of climate change, modern policymaking, parliamentary diplomacy, regional cooperation, and strengthening local governance. He stressed the importance of unified efforts to counter misinformation, hate speech, and digital corruption. The Speaker underscored the significance of democratic principles, constitutional values, equitable resource distribution, and a strong accountability system. He also highlighted the necessity of effective legislation for environmental protection. On this occasion, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan presented the “Charter of Lahore” at the conference, which was unanimously adopted. He acknowledged that parliaments play a pivotal role in promoting inclusive governance, accountability, and protecting citizens’ rights. He stated that challenges such as climate change, socio-economic inequality, and technological advancements must be tackled through joint legislation, modern policymaking, and inter-parliamentary cooperation. He said, The Charter of Lahore reaffirms the commitment to strengthening parliamentary diplomacy, regional cooperation, and sustainable peace. It advocates for empowering local governance structures to ensure equitable development, combating misinformation, hate speech, and digital corruption, and advancing legislation on healthcare, education, and sustainable development goals. It also ensures equal parliamentary participation for women, youth, persons with disabilities, and minorities, promotes effective legislation for environmental protection and cross-border collaboration, and ensures the ethical and responsible use of Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies. Additionally, it calls for capacity-building initiatives to strengthen parliamentary institutions. During the CPA Asia Regional meeting, Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan welcomed the esteemed Speakers of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan and announced that both regional assemblies had been granted observer status in CPA Asia. He expressed hope that following the resolution of the longstanding issue of Azad Jammu & Kashmir in line with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, the truly representative assemblies of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan would be able to attain full membership in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. The Speaker termed this development a significant milestone and prayed that both assemblies would soon achieve full membership, enabling them to play an effective role in the global parliamentary community.
At the concluding session of the first joint Asia and Southeast Asia Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), CPA Deputy Secretary-General Jarvis Matiya delivered the Vote of Thanks, stating that the conference had proven to be a significant milestone in promoting international parliamentary cooperation. He emphasized that the active participation and deep commitment of all delegates had made this gathering a success. Mohammed Muzammil Mohamed Munir, a Member of Parliament from Sri Lanka, also expressed his gratitude for the successful arrangements of the conference. He remarked, “This session provided an excellent opportunity for the region’s legislators to learn from each other’s experiences and strengthen mutual cooperation. He sincerely appreciated Pakistan’s hospitality and the excellent arrangements for this event. Similarly, the Speaker of the Pahang State Legislative Assembly, Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Sharkar bin Haji Shamsudin, extended his thanks to the organizers for successfully hosting the conference. He stated, “This gathering is a significant step in promoting our shared democratic values and strengthening parliamentary relations. This platform has allowed us to engage in discussions on global issues that are essential for securing a better future for our people.” On this occasion, Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Sharkar bin Haji Shamsudin also introduced the participating Speakers and described their presence as a positive development for international parliamentary diplomacy.During the Vote of Thanks, the delegates emphasized the importance of fostering parliamentary cooperation, exchanging legislative experiences, and enhancing regional and global engagement to address common challenges.At the conclusion of the ceremony, foreign delegates extended their gratitude to Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan for successfully hosting the conference. They also reaffirmed their commitment to continued collaborative efforts for addressing the challenges faced by Commonwealth nations. Earlier, on the second day of the conference, separate sessions were held on strengthening local governance – legislative pathways for Effective Decentralisation,
Climate change and sustainable cities: legislative action for clean Air and Resilience urban living, parliamentary innovations :Legislating for Ai , digital collaboration and social media governance, Health and education: legislative pathways for inclusive social development. Deputy Speaker of the UK House of Commons Nusrat Ghani, Senator Anusha Rahman, Senator Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan, Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Babar Saleem, Speaker Gilgit-Baltistan Nazir Ahmad, Senior Provincial Minister Maryam Aurangzeb, Provincial Ministers Zeeshan Rafique, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Rana Sikandar Hayat, MNAs Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan, Sardar Awais Dereshak, Munazza Hussain, Syed Naveed Qamar, Member Balochistan Assembly Farah Azeem, Member Sindh Assembly Makhdoom Farrukh Zaman, Members Punjab Assembly Ahmed Iqbal, Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Nausheen Adnan, former Federal Minister Khurram Dastgir, and others graced the sessions as guest speakers.
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