ISLAMABAD : Pakistan has vocally pursued the agenda of regional integrationand advocated look inward approach to work jointly for regional developmentas Asia is rising and people of Asia have to be the masters of their owndestiny.
This was stated by Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani while addressing theinaugural session of the 3rd ECO Attorney General Conference being held inPakistan from Tuesday.
Mian Raza Rabbani said that 21st century belongs to Asia and it is onlythrough enhanced cooperation and linkages that we can rise together. Thewest, he said, has its own agenda and wants us to be divided and insecurebut we, as Asians, need to exercise caution and face the challenges througha collective effort. He said that our challenges have a similar nature. Ourresources are being exploited by imperialist mindset to their own benefit,he remarked.
He warned that century for Asia would mark the region as the centre ofconspiracy to destabilize the region on ethnic, cultural and nationaldivides as the major players are trying to create Regional conflictinghegemonies’ to feed the cold war necessities. Thus, Nations in the regionlost sight of their future and stood split on ethnic and other divides forno good of their own, feeding only the purposes of ‘Major players’ in thecold war.
He said that the region as a whole has witnessed waves of destabilizationand Pakistan, being strategically located, has remained the forefront ofthis subversion. “Destablization of one country of the Asia region is neverequivalent to destabilization of one country rather its equivalent to onebuilding block that has to craft the destiny of the region, and thus anenormous loss” Raza Rabbani said.
He said that Pakistan is signatory to or has ratified internationalconventions relating to human trafficking and has effectively addressed theissues of money laundering and terrorist financing and is taking actions tocurb it. While giving a detailed account of steps taken by Pakistan,Chairman Senate said that in 2007, Pakistan’s Anti-Money LaunderingOrdinance established the Financial Monitoring Unit, an autonomous bodyresponsible for analysing suspicious currency transactions in Pakistan.
He said that two Bills titled, ‘Trafficking in Persons Bill’ and ‘Smugglingof Migrants Bill’ are under consideration in the Senate to the prevent andcombat smuggling of migrants, promote and facilitate national andinternational cooperation for protection of victims. He, however, stressedthat human smuggling and trafficking needs to be defined.
He said that developing world is being used as market for western productsbut its labour cannot access their lands leading to unequal economicconditions in developing countries and creating unrest giving internationaldimension to sense of deprivation amongst the citizenry. Chairman Senatesaid that this factor has close link with the war driven economies of theWest giving rise to extremism and furthering terrorism. The West demandsfrom us but our demands never meet affirmative responses.
He said that termed ECO a better platform for regional development andproposed that increased interaction among legislative, judicial andexecutive pillars would pave the way for opening up new vistas of mutualcooperation placing ECO at a more important and exclusive position. Hesuggested that in order to make your efforts more inclusive and effective,this platform of legal experts, similar events should be held forParliamentarians (who draft legislation) and Executives (who implement thelaws) so that inter-regional cohesive and complimentary legislation andprocedures could be generated.
The Parliament of Pakistan (particularly the Senate of Pakistan) is anactive and vocal member of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly. The Senate ofPakistan remained the APA President for the term 2014-15 and the 42Parliaments of the APA has last month in Istanbul again elected the Senateof Pakistan to be its President for the term 2020-21.
He said that this conference will provide an opportunity to ponder overmechanisms for mutual cooperation amongst member states in fight againsttransnational organized crime, common principles for fight againstcorruption, money laundering and preventive measures that can be taken withmutual assistance.
Orignally published by NNI