Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani said Pakistan is focusing on enhancing regional connectivity and trade through land routes with member states of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), WealthPK reports. He expressed these views during a meeting with IPU President Duarte Pacheco, who called on him here at his office. The IPU president is on a visit to Pakistan to attend the two-day conference organised by International Parliamentarians Congress (IPC) on Road Safety starting from February 8.

The Senate chairman said that road safety is a global issue that needs collective efforts by all stakeholders. “Everyone has to work together for it,” he added. During the meeting, the two sides discussed matters related to increased institutional cooperation besides making the IPU a more dynamic forum.

Sadiq Sanjrani said that realising the importance of the issue, the IPC decided to utilise the experiences of international political leaders and experts to formulate strategies and recommendations through a joint action plan. He said that Pakistan is determined to promote peace, democracy, human rights, gender equality and sustainable development as per the mission of IPU.

He termed road safety one of the global challenges. “Road safety is very important in the overall development process. It is an issue of global nature,” he added. The Senate chairman briefed the visiting dignitary about the constitutional and legal role of the Upper House of Pakistan’s Parliament and the process of electing Senate members.

Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman, Senate Secretary Mohammad Qasim Samad Khan and other senior officials were also present in the meeting. Describing the IPU an “ideal platform,” Sadiq Sanjrani said it could play an important role in national and regional development. “Pakistan has full confidence that increased inter-parliamentary cooperation through IPU can lead to development opportunities and peaceful resolution of disputes,” he added. The IPU president described his visit to Pakistan as very important. He said that Pakistan’s active role in IPU was recognised worldwide.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk