Representatives of 23 Asian countries meet in Islamabad to mull EU-like bloc

Over 70 representatives of 23 Asian countries met in Islamabad on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of creating a regional bloc similar to the European Union (EU) during a conference hosted by the Senate. However, with huge rivalries among countries of the continent, the possibility of establishing such a bloc is remote. India and Afghanistan both sent envoys to the conference ─ a three-day meeting of a special committee on the creation of Asian Parliament and Asian Parliamentary Standing Committee on Political Affairs ─ which comes amid increasingly tense relations the two of them have with Pakistan. Ramzan Sajid, a parliament spokesman, said the conference from March 13-17 is likely to suggest the formation of an APA. Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, addressing the gathering, told participants “that the destiny of Asia must not be directed by capitalist Western states”. Rabbani said Asia must look within itself and decide its own destiny, as ‘western imperialism’ will not help it solve its problems. “We, the parliamentarians of Asia sitting here, represent the people who are suffering, under-nourished, objects of poverty and victims of terrorism. If we are unable to find an indigenous solution to the problems of our own people, history will not forgive us,” he said, according to a press release issued by the Senate Secretariat. Rabbani said that Asia is a land of natural resources, but these resources were exploited by ‘western imperialism’. He observed that Asia continues to suffer through neo-colonialism and pointed out the changing context of the world by highlighting the consequences of Brexit and the United States presidential election. Rabbani said the threat of racism is a threat to the Asian region which must be countered. The Asian people will lose hope in their parliaments if our generation fails to rise to meet their expectations, Rabbani told conference participants. Speaker of People’s Assembly of Syria Dr. Hadiyeh Abbas said she believed that the need for cooperation and solidarity is greater than ever before. Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan Lyonpo Jigme Zangpo said that diversity has always been the mass-code of Asia, and that fragmentation of our continent would never facilitate cooperation. The SCCAP committee must represent collaborated interests, commitment and symbolise unity in sharing our resources, he said, adding that another perspective to this mechanism is that although parliaments may vary in their working, they retain similar goals. A delegate from Cambodia deliberated on the importance of parliament in promoting peace and security in regional and global affairs. He noted that political stability is indispensable in Asia. Peace and security require efficient peace mechanisms. Hence, a parliamentary system is a prime method of promoting dialogue and cooperation, he said. Source: Dawn