LONDON – The UK Commonwealth Parliamentary Association delegation said they were optimistic about Pakistan’s future. Meeting with a range of range of political leaders, parliamentarians and representatives from civil society in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi, the delegation’s 6-day visit to Pakistan ended the other day.
The delegation left with a greater understanding of the depths of the challenges facing Pakistan, a press statement issued by the British High Commission in Islamabad said. Roger Gale, leader of the delegation said, “Over the past 6 days we have had the opportunity to talk to many impressive people, both from Government and civil society.
Visiting 3 of the provinces as well as the capital has shown us that although there are some very difficult challenges facing Pakistan, such as economic reform, law and order, and governance, there is still reason to be optimistic about the future. The devolution of power from the Federal to the Provincial level has created an opportunity for local people to reshape their politics.
Having talked to parliamentarians at both the national and local level it is clear that democracy is taking hold in Pakistan. The ‘Declaration of Friendship’ we signed with members of the National Assembly yesterday will strengthen the links between our parliaments to reinforce its role in ensuring democracy takes root”, he said.
He said the youth of Pakistan are a testament to what the country can achieve.
