ISLAMABAD: The first South Asian Association Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Young Parliamen-tarians’ Conference will commence on Tuesday.

As many as 50 members from Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri lanka will participate in the conference.

The conference is an initiative by the National Assembly speaker, Ayaz Sadiq, which will offer region’s young parliamentarians’ narrative as a prelude to the 19th Saarc summit Pakistan is going to host in November this year.

MNA Malik Uzair Khan, one of the youngest members of the National Assembly, has worked to plan the important conference that will offer young parliamentarians an opportunity to deliberate their perspectives regarding regional peace and harmony.

Besides, 50 parliamentary delegates from the Saarc member countries, the conference will be attended by six international experts.

Four members each from India, Afghanistan, Nepal and Maldives, five from Bhutan, six from Sri Lanka will participate in the conference.

SAARC Secretary General, Arjun Bahadur Thapa will be attending the conference as well as 25 young MPs from all parliamentary parties from Pakistan.

The 1st Saarc Young Parliamentarians Conference is being jointly hosted by the National Assembly and the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services.

During the Conference, the respective delegates will be highlighting voices of the youth being future of South Asia.

It will also lay down the foundation of strong inter-parliamentary linkages across South Asia to set up a network that can help develop into a continued platform, nurture regional interaction, support democratic norms/institutions and build a coalition for sustained dialogue and peaceful cooperation.

With sub-themes such as peace and development, human rights, sustainable development, regional trade, cultural diplomacy, youth issues and social inclusion. The conference will conclude with Islamabad Declaration on the final day.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2016