ISLAMABAD, Sep 9 (APP):National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser Wednesday said the legislation based on research and dialogue was essential to address the challenges presently faced by the country.
He expressed these views while addressing the participants of a dialogue on “Partnership for Protecting the Environment” organized by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Climate Change.He said that researchers and academics were invited to the standing committees of the present Parliament for research purposes and their views were incorporated in legislation and policy making. The dialogue was attended by a number of scholars, researchers, academics and representatives of civil society and the media.
The speaker said that in order to resolve the problems faced by the country, all the stakeholders should have to think beyond personal interests. He said at present the country was facing immense challenges out of which the most glaring was climate change which we need to work as a nation to tackle it. He said that our researchers and educators were the best in the world and the world has acclaimed their potential. Admittedly, however, we need to work hard to bring our universities to the top of the world ranking.
The speaker stressed on the need of resolving country’s issues through the parliament. In collaboration with researchers and academia, a report was being complied containing suggestions for the development of the agricultural sector to formulate a comprehensive strategy to address the problems faced by the agriculture sector, he informed.
Asad Qaiser appreciated the efforts of Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Climate Change Munaza Hassan in organizing this dialogue and expressed the hope that this dialogue would be fruitful and address the challenges of climate change faced by the country. Speaking on the occasion, Munaza Hassan thanked the participants of the dialogue. She said that the present Parliament and the Standing Committee on Climate Change were committed to developing partnerships with academics and researchers. She said that the Constitution of Pakistan also gives special place to Parliamentary Committees to form this partnership.
She said that parliamentary committees could bridge the gap between the people and the institutions and play the role of a forum that could implement the views of the people. “Climate change is a very serious issue that is not only affecting the lives of our people, but could escalate in the future,” she said. Other speakers on the occasion highlighted the challenges facing the country and made positive suggestions for their solution. They said that the country’s problems could be solved through effective legislation and implementation of the new as well as existing laws.
