Pakistan launched the curtain raiser for an Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference to be hosted in Islamabad, with parliamentary leaders, diplomats and international organization representatives expressing broad support. The event highlighted parliamentary diplomacy as a tool for conflict prevention, climate action, food and energy security, and strengthening multilateral cooperation.
The ceremony drew senior figures from across Pakistan’s political spectrum and the diplomatic community, including 38 ambassadors and representatives of international organizations. Organizers presented the conference as a platform to reinforce parliamentary engagement in global affairs and to translate international commitments into national legislation.
Misbah Khar, advisor to the Chairman Senate and Ambassador for the conference, said the initiative aligns with Pakistan’s foreign policy and parliamentary outreach. She emphasized the role of the conference in promoting dialogue-based conflict resolution and addressing shared global challenges such as poverty and climate change.
Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani delivered the keynote address, welcoming deputy and parliamentary leaders, the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference, party heads and diplomats. He recounted his inspiration for the forum, recalling that while global summits set ambitious agendas, parliaments—the institutions responsible for turning those agendas into law—were often absent. That gap, he said, motivated the creation of a dedicated platform for Speakers of Parliaments.
Highlighting climate change as a pressing global threat, the Chairman referred to a visit to flood-affected areas in Multan and shared the stories of displaced families as evidence of the need for international solidarity. He said no single government can address such crises alone, and stressed that parliaments must cooperate across borders. He also outlined recent parliamentary outreach efforts, including initiatives with African, Central Asian and European partners.
Referring to a previous ISC meeting held in Seoul that gathered more than 45 Speakers, the Chairman said the full-scale conference in Islamabad will prioritize conflict prevention, food, water and energy security, climate action, sustainable development, good governance and the strengthening of parliamentary diplomacy. Quoting John Donne, he framed the ISC as a “Continent of Parliaments” in which each Speaker contributes to the collective good.
Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar praised the Senate’s leadership and called the conference a timely and purposeful initiative. He underscored that peace and security are fundamental to development and described the forum as crucial for fostering dialogue-based multilateralism.
Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq endorsed the ISC and urged bipartisan cooperation between both Houses of Parliament. He noted the growing impact of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and warned that parliaments must work together to counter misinformation and strengthen democratic institutions.
Ek Nath Dhakal, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference, thanked Pakistan for hosting the event and described the forum as a key mechanism for promoting peace and sustainable development through legislative collaboration.
Organizers said the curtain raiser sets the tone for a major gathering of parliamentary leaders in Islamabad that aims to convert commitments into concrete legislative pathways and to advance inclusive, bipartisan legislative diplomacy.
