Durable peace in region is in interest of all: Zardari

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that no country had suffered so much as Pakistan from terrorism and it had lost 40,000 innocent lives in addition to $80 billion in economic terms.

The President was addressing inaugural ceremony of sixth conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians here on Sunday. He said Pakistan was committed to the SAARC Charter and believed that durable peace in the region was in the interest of all. He urged the regional countries to join hands to fight the menace of extremism and terrorism.

He said that the region should adopt a collective approach to face the common challenges and explore the opportunities for the benefit of the people.

He said that the SAARC parliaments should plan and lead efforts for solving complex issues by protecting political liberties, human freedoms and the rule of law to promote regional peace and security.

Referring to democratic transition in South Asia, the President said that democracy was a prerequisite for economic development and political stability. Strong parliaments play a crucial role in ushering in reforms and ensuring efficiency and transparency of the governing structures, he added.

He said that the government in Pakistan had taken bold decisions to empower the Parliament.

A democratically elected government was nearing the completion of its term and soon Pakistan would achieve a peaceful democratic transition. “We are well on our way to realizing democracy’s dividends,” he added.

The President said that some people might feel that the Parliament was still under assault from some quarters, but these were the teething troubles of a genuine democratic transition. These are the dying kicks of an old order, he added.

He said that the South Asia of today had undergone a democratic transformation. The Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians is a vital instrument for promoting contacts between the peoples of the region, he added. (Geo News/APP)