SA states urged to cut defence budgets, form common fund

SA states urged to cut defence budgets, form common fund

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KARACHI: The 4th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Asia Regional Conference (CPAARC) 2012 has urged the South Asian (SA) countries to reduce their defence budgets, form a common fund for eliminating poverty, remove hurdles in regional business and take measures for food security.

The conference was initiated here on Tuesday at a local hotel. Instead of all the South Asian member countries of commonwealth, only the host countries Pakistan and Sri Lanka were participating in the conference, a situation that raised several question marks on the efficiency of forum.

Addressing the inaugural session of the conference, National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza said that lack of mutual cooperation was the core reason behind poverty, shortage of opportunities and unemployment prevailing in the region. She was of the view that member countries have to eradicate the hurdles lying in the formation of a ‘Free Trade Region’. She expressed disappointment to note that because to continued political conflicts, South Asian countries had yet failed to take advantage of opportunities and resources.

Mentioning the sacrifices of the country in war against terrorism, she said that Pakistan had paid much to end terrorism in the region, adding that besides sacrificing 35,000 precious lives, former prime minister and several elected representatives, particularly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, laid their lives in the war.

She appreciated the example of Sri Lanka in overcoming terrorism in an effective manner. She also hailed Bangladesh for providing women with due rights. She further said that besides passing 24 bills to ensure the rights of women and children, Pakistan had made various legislations to provide a secure environment to women, particularly at workplace.

Sril Lankan Parliamentary Speaker Chamal Raja Pakshy said in his address that gender based discrimination and harassment against women was the major issue of region, which should be addressed and combated through comprehensive planning. He stressed the need to form a joint mechanism for ‘firm social economy’. He was of the view that regional countries should support each other for their due rights. He suggested the regional countries to follow Bangladesh’s example in granting women their due rights.

Speaking on the occasion, Speaker Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro said that regional countries were bearing massive defense expenditure due to conflicts, left as a heritage of neo-colonial system.

Urging participants to end regional issues, he said that regional conflicts had increased the problems of the neighbouring countries.

Speakers and assembly secretaries of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Biltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir assemblies were also present at the conference.