ISLAMABAD: Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has called upon the developed countries of Commonwealth to share parliamentary experience with the developing democracies of the Association, in order to face common challenges. According to a message received from London, he was addressing the Standing Committee Meeting of the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth Countries (CSPOC), which held its meeting in London on Friday.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq is attending the Meeting as the Standing Committee Member from the Asia Region. He was elected to this prestigious post in the last meeting of the CSPOC, held in Malaysia in 2016.
The meeting, which was attended by the Speakers of the UK, Canada, New Zealand, India, Malaysia, Rwanda, Lesotho, Seychelles and the Deputy Speakers of Singapore, Nigeria besides others finalized the agenda for its next General Conference, scheduled to be held in Seychelles in 2018. Pakistan’s delegation took active part in the proceedings and all topics for discussion for the future conference, as proposed by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq were unanimously accepted by the Standing Committee.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq briefed the Meeting about his initiatives of promoting the Parliamentary Diplomacy by organizing 88 Friendship Groups with sister Parliaments in the National Assembly of Pakistan. He termed it important to seek solutions to regional and international problems and hence proposed that the Conference should discuss “Speaker’s Role in promoting Parliamentary Diplomacy for International and Regional Cooperation.” The Topic was approved for the next Conference.
In another mover, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq proposed discussing the Speaker’s role in ensuring parliamentary oversight over the Executive. He elaborated the suggested topic by giving examples from his own experience of encouraging Calling Attention Notices, ensuring the presence of senior government officials during the Question Hour and other measures. The meeting appreciated Speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s initiatives and agreed to incorporate the issue of Parliamentary Oversight in the forthcoming Conference’s topics.
On the sidelines of the Meeting, the Speaker held important meetings with the participating Speakers as well as with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Bareness Scotland.
INP
