KARACHI: After a gap of 14 years, the Sindh Assembly is hosting a major international parliamentary gathering, bringing together senior parliamentary leaders from Pakistan and abroad to deliberate on the future of democratic governance.
The Seventh CPA Asia Regional Conference and the Second Joint CPA Asia and South-East Asia Regional Conference were inaugurated at the Sindh Assembly under the theme “Future Parliaments: Redefining Democracy through Trust, Inclusion, Innovation and Peace.” The event attracted more than 150 Speakers, Deputy Speakers, parliamentarians and senior officials from parliaments and 17 state assemblies representing four countries from Asia and South-East Asia.
During the inaugural and plenary sessions, participants engaged in detailed discussions on strengthening democratic institutions, parliamentary dialogue and reconciliation, restoration of public trust, transparency, inclusion, artificial intelligence, environmental challenges and regional peace.
Welcoming the delegates, Speaker of the Sindh Assembly Syed Awais Qadir Shah highlighted Sindh’s historical, cultural and democratic identity. He expressed concern over global conflicts, climate change, poverty, extremism and challenges posed by modern technology, stressing that dialogue, parliamentary cooperation and democratic values were essential for peace and sustainable development. He described the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) as an effective platform for parliamentary engagement in the region.
Referring to Sindh’s heritage, the Speaker said the Indus River not only made the land fertile but also connected Sindh with other civilizations. He cited Mohenjo-daro and Makli as symbols of Sindh’s ancient civilisation, cultural legacy and tradition of peace, and described Sindh as the land of Sufis, of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, the world’s youngest female prime minister and the first female prime minister of the Muslim world.
CPA Chairperson Dr Christopher Kalila underscored inclusion, innovation, transparency and ethical leadership as the core pillars of future parliaments, with particular emphasis on meaningful representation of women, youth, minorities and persons with disabilities.
Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said it was an honour to address such an important global forum. He noted that the world was facing serious challenges, including political mistrust, environmental crises, digital disruption and democratic weaknesses. He appreciated the timely organisation of the conference by the CPA and the Sindh Assembly, paying tribute to the leadership of the Speaker. He said strong, transparent, inclusive and modern parliaments form the foundation of resilient democracies, while peace, dialogue and regional cooperation are vital for democratic stability.
The chief guest, Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, said the presence of Commonwealth parliamentary delegations at the Sindh Assembly reflected a collective commitment to democracy, parliamentary values and international cooperation. He described the Sindh Assembly building as a witness to historic moments of Pakistan’s independence and noted its long-standing role as a centre of democratic values, culture and intellectual heritage. He highlighted the Assembly’s historic contribution to women’s political representation and recalled that Pakistan gave the Muslim world its first elected female prime minister.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.