Seizing the day: Asian leaders must rise up to meet challenges, says Rabbani

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani has predicted that the Asian continent is going to become the epicentre of the world’s economic power. But he cautioned that wise decisions were required to overcome largely common challenges.

“The 21st century is the Asian century as the region will be the epicentre of economic power in the coming days. However, the Asian leadership will have to take wise decisions to overcome the common challenges,” he said, according to a statement issued by the Senate Secretariat on Tuesday.

Rabbani was expressing these views on the sidelines of 9th plenary session of Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) held in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

The chairman held meetings with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodian Senate’s President Say Chhum, Cambodian National Assembly’ president, Turkish Parliament’s speaker, speaker of Laos Assembly, as well as speakers of various Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

During the meetings, Rabbani said the APA provides a better opportunity for resolution of issues and overcoming challenges hampering the progress of Asian region.

Rabbani also informed his counterparts and the Cambodian PM about the brutalities being inflicted by Indian forces in the Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK) and said indigenous freedom movement of the people of Kashmir cannot be suppressed through brutal killings of innocent Kashmiris.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2016.