ISLAMABAD, July 22: The Inter-Parliamentary Union is ready to extend its full cooperation and assistance for promoting and strengthening democratic system in Pakistan, said the IPU secretary-general, Anders B. Johnson, while talking to newsmen here at a reception hosted in his honour by NA Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain on Tuesday evening.

Mr Johnson hoped that the democracy would strengthen its roots in Pakistan. In reply to a question about the revival of Pakistan to IPU, he it was revived as Pakistan’s parliament fulfilled the requirements of independent and sovereign parliament.

Commenting on the performance of the Pakistan parliament, he said it had been contributing positively in the country’s parliamentary history.

The IPU, taking advantage of its experience, would extend full cooperation in all the fields to further improve the performance of the Pakistan parliament so that the system could be established on strong footing and sustainable democratic process would continue, he added.

Referring to a good parliament, the IPU secretary-general said the parliament should discuss all the issues and problems and sort out the matters related to mutual consultation and negotiations within the house.

He said for IPU membership, the parliament should be sovereign and oversee the performance of the government and added that Pakistan’s membership was restored after finding these indicators positive.

In reply to another question about the constitutional issues like Legal Framework Order, he said, it was purely a domestic issue of Pakistan and it should be decided within the country.

The NA Speaker, Chaudhry Amir Hussain, in his welcome speech, said after the revival of democratic system in the country, the parliament had been contributing in promoting and strengthening the democratic institutions in the country.—APP