News
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Fehmida asks world to fulfil pledges made to flood victims
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker, Dr Fehmida Mirza, has called upon the international community to fulfil its commitments of providing assistance, relief and rehabilitation to the flood victims of the devastating floods that ravaged the country last year.
She urged the speakers and the presiding officers of the IPU Member Parliament to influence their respective governments to fulfil their commitments so that rehabilitation process could effectively take place. She said this while addressing the Plenary Session of the 124th Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly that was held in the city of Panama on Monday.
She said that out of a total amount of $3042 billion that was offered by the international community as assistance for the victims’ relief and rehabilitation, only $661 million had been received uptil now.
She said that Pakistan’s democratic government was going through numerous challenges at the moment, including fight against terrorism, economic challenges and rehabilitation of the flood victims. She said that support from the international community would supplement the efforts of the government.
“It is agonising to know that in response to the unanimous resolution passed in the 123rd IPU General Assembly held in Geneva in October 2010, the call from parliaments of the world had little effect on their respective governments,” she said.
The world continues to be a victim of the global war on terror while on the other hand, acute economic and financial instability has also badly affected the quality of life all over the world, Fehmida said.
She said that it was regrettable that incidents like Haiti earthquake, Pakistan floods and now the calamity in Japan had continued to dominate the agenda of this House for its immediate consideration, however, despite such urgency, a tangible, concerted and collective response from the international parliamentary forum is still awaited.
She said it was imperative to help mitigate the human sufferings and translate the wordy documents into tangible deeds, aimed at ensuring the supremacy of the parliament over the executive.
“Democracies around the world are confronted with challenges today,” said Fehmida, adding that collective efforts on part of all the democratic leaders were needed to build a world filled with peace, progress and democracy.
Taking about the democracy in Pakistan, she said that democracy has taken roots and all the progressive political forces were united on the issues of national importance that are meant for the betterment of the masses.
She said an effective and vibrant “committee system” has been established in the parliament of the country, which ensures parliamentary accountability of the Executive.
She said the Public Accounts Committee was being headed by the opposition leader and comprised of members drawn from all political parties. Moreover, the committee succeeded in recovering more than $750 million, which does not only indicate its individual achievement but also comes as a viable sign of the strengthening of democratic institutions in Pakistan.
Separately, Fehmida said, “Parliament has created, through an act of parliament, the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Studies, which would include a state-of-the art centre of excellence in research and development for the parliamentarians and concerned officials.” Fehmida also invited the IPU member states to benefit from the facility, which would provide a viable basis for a mutually beneficial cooperation among the legislatures of the world.Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk