ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Monday said that democracy fails when a democratic country turns its back on the needy and vulnerable sections of the society.
According to a message received from Geneva, Sadiq expressed these views while addressing the 138th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Assembly at Switzerland.
The speaker said that democracies around the world were facing a complex mix of opportunities and challenges. Holding elections after some years does not represent the full reach of democracy because the system also provided provisions for developing a new socio-economic culture of mutual respect, understanding, rule of law and accountability, he added.
He urged the parliaments of all countries to take a step in the right direction by promoting a positive narrative about migration and working on facilitative policy-making and legislation in this connection.
“We can achieve better national, regional and global migration governance frameworks through dialogue and understanding,” he added.
Talking about the theme for this year’s IPU General Assembly debate, titled ‘Strengthening the Global Regime for Migrants and Refugees: The Need for Evidence-Based Policy Solutions’, Sadiq said that at present, the public discourse on migrants and refugees was often marked by increasing hatred, discrimination and xenophobia, therefore, this discussion was both necessary and critical in the modern global perspective.
He further said that more than 258 million people were living as foreigners, including those who immigrated to other countries in search of a better future. On the other hand, there were those who migrated after becoming victims of terrorism, prosecution and fear, he added.
He said that the last IPU assembly held in St Petersburg, had adopted the emergency item pertaining to the grave humanitarian crisis, persecution and violent attacks on the Rohingya community and called such violence a threat to international peace and security. He called upon the world community to ensure the unconditional and safe return of the Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar.
Further, the national assembly speaker said that Pakistan had vast experience of hosting refugees for decades. “Today, more than 80 per cent of the world’s refugees are being hosted by the developing countries, which are already facing their own socio-economic challenges,” he added.
He also said that international immigration was a driver for growth because it brought with it new opportunities, experiences and fresh ideas for the host community.
He urged all elected leaders to change the distorted global narrative on refugees, adding that their cooperation on migration governance should be based on mutual respect, understanding and the spirit of accommodation.
