A Pakistani parliamentary delegation led by Senator Afnan Ullah Khan travelled to Manama to engage actively at the 16th Plenary Session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to intercivilizational dialogue as a practical tool for peace and development across Asia.
Senator Afnan Ullah Khan delivered a comprehensive statement on behalf of the Parliament of Pakistan, congratulating H.E. Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam on assuming the APA Presidency and acknowledging the APA Secretariat’s arrangements as the assembly marks its 20th anniversary. The delegation, which included Senator Gurdeep Singh, Senator Muhammad Aslam Abro and Ms. Taskeen Akhtar Niazi, MNA, stressed that legislatures must convert dialogue into concrete policy, oversight and representative action to address economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and rising intolerance.
Highlighting Asia’s long history of coexistence, the Pakistani delegation argued that intercivilizational dialogue is essential to counter extremism, disinformation and social fragmentation. The statement underscored Pakistan’s constitutional guarantees for freedom of religion and equality before the law, and pointed to institutional mechanisms such as interfaith harmony initiatives and the Senate Minority Caucus that protect minority rights and promote tolerance at home.
On the international front, Pakistan reiterated its track record of co-sponsoring United Nations resolutions that promote a culture of peace, protect religious sites and advance inter-religious engagement. The delegation presented the Kartarpur Corridor as a landmark example where intercivilizational dialogue translated into on-the-ground confidence building and people-to-people reconciliation.
Practical steps at the national level were also outlined, including Pakistan’s first National Culture Policy (2018), the establishment of the National History Museum, and ongoing heritage preservation and cultural revitalization projects designed to foster social cohesion and an inclusive national identity. These initiatives were presented as part of a broader strategy to embed intercivilizational dialogue in legislation, cultural policy and public programming.
As the APA platform for parliamentary cooperation, the delegation emphasized the assembly’s role in facilitating peer learning, coordinated responses and durable resolutions on shared regional challenges. Senator Afnan Ullah Khan reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to work constructively within the APA to elevate intercivilizational dialogue as a sustained parliamentary priority and to harness Asia’s diversity for unity, resilience and shared progress.
