Parliament represents will of people, says PM

Parliament represents the will and aspirations of the people, as it s an institution where representatives of the people protect the interests of the citizens, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said on Tuesday.
Hosting a luncheon in honour of speakers of SAARC nations, the PM said parliament’s role was critical for any democracy to take deep roots and formulate policies for people’s welfare.
“The broad-based and unhindered participation of people leads to greater ownership by the people and brightens the prospects of success,” he said.
Praising the role of SAARC, he said since its establishment in 1992, the association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians had matured and had made important progress in various fields.
“The conference affords an opportunity to the parliamentarians of the SAARC region to engage in productive discussions on a variety of subjects and learn from each other’s experiences,” he said, adding that the association of speakers and parliamentarians could easily serve as a viable mechanism for promotion of meaningful discourse.
“We envision SAARC as a thriving organisation, promoting not only regional development but advancing the global agenda for peace and prosperity. The onset of globalisation has thrown open new set of challenges and opportunities depending upon how the countries choose to respond to this process of evolution and change. Inertia and status quo will have to be abandoned in our pursuit of shared well-being of our people,” he said.
The PM said the parliamentarians had a unique advantage and they could play a significant role in promoting the ideals of peace and prosperity in their respective countries and the region.
“Pakistan is firmly committed to the principles of SAARC and attaches great importance to its ideals and processes. We strongly believe that regional cooperation is an important engine of prosperity for the people of the region,” he said.
“We are committed to go an extra mile to make SAARC an effective and productive organisation that is beneficial to all South Asian citizens,” the PM said.
Ashraf said there was no denying the fact that South Asia, despite being blessed with immense natural resources and talent, had not been able to realise its full economic potential.
“The region is still home to a large number of poor people. At a time when regional economic and political groupings are fast emerging on the map of the world, SAARC can ill-afford to lag behind. The people of South Asia deserve better and it must be our endeavour to help them attain a respectable status in life,” the PM added.