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Mushahid meets Indonesian president
APP
JAKARTA – Organizing Committee of Asian Parliamentary Assembly Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed along with a group of Asian leaders has called on Indonesian President Jokowi in Jakarta.
Mushahid, who is also the secretary general of the Asia-wide civil society organisation, Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI), is the first Pakistani to meet President Jokowi after his election on October 20 this year, said a message received here from Indonesia on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the chairman extended the heartiest congratulations of the people of Pakistan to President Jokowi, and said Pakistan took pride in lauding Indonesia as the ‘Muslim World's biggest democracy’. He told President Jokowi that he was the third leader from the Muslim World to become president after being mayor, the others being Erdogan and Ahmedinijad.
President Jokowi thanked Senator Mushahid for his good wishes and lauded the recently-concluded Asian Parliamentary Assembly in Lahore, where Indonesia was represented by deputy speaker of parliament. Asian leaders appreciated Pakistan for successfully hosting APA twice within a year, rejuvenating the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, which they termed a ‘source of strength for Asia’.
Responding to comments from the Asian leaders, the president said, in his view, democracy means delivering a better life for the people. Listing his priorities, he said that these were reforming the bureaucracy by cutting red-tape, building badly-needed infrastructure, providing electricity to the people and slashing subsidies.
Apart from Vice President Yusuf Kalla, other Asian leaders present included Philippines former president Fidel Ramos, Cambodia Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, Philippines Speaker Jose de Venecia, Civil Society leader from Turkey Gozde Gizdar, and Malaysian economic leader TanSri Dr Chen Lip Keong.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk