KARACHI, May 8: Visiting youth delegation representing the political parties of the United Kingdom have underlined the imperative need for a dialogue between the Muslim world and the West to develop a better understanding of each other.

“Through the initiation of a dialogue between the politically active youth of the UK and Pakistani societies, we are seeking to develop and sustain this understanding into the future,” observed members of the UK youth delegation while speaking at reception hosted by the British Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi, Hamish Daniel, on Monday evening.

UK’s young politicians will have dialogue with young members of Sindh Assembly and Karachi University students on Tuesday. They will hold similar meetings in Quetta on Wednesday, in Lahore on Thursday, in Peshawar on Friday and in Islamabad on Saturday. The meetings are aimed at focussing on changes in perspectives of both sides in topics such as democracy, governance, politics, clash of civilisations and root-cause of extremism.

Five representatives each from the youth wings of major political parties, academic institutions and civil society organisations from Pakistan will take part in these dialogues.

Anna Wright and Gareth Smith of ruling Labour Party; Richard Stephenson and Kabur Sabar of opposition Conservative Party; Colin Ross and Ellen Kelly of Liberal Democrats; Colin Paul Megrath of Social Democratic and Labour Party Northern Ireland said that they would meet young Pakistani politicians to learn about Pakistani politics and Islam.

They said that it would also create better understanding of democratic process of the West for politically active Pakistani youth, besides motivation for working towards a better democracy in Pakistan. They felt this would provide Muslim youth with an insight into culture and system of politics and democratic governance in the West, which, in return, may inspire them to work towards greater democratisation of their own societies.

Earlier, Hamish Daniel said that with reduction of voting age to 18 in Pakistan, the importance of youth in the context of political process had increased manifolds. Young people figure prominently in the proposed dialogue as they were considered central to understanding a society and shaping its future, he observed. —PPI