Amid immense global challenges ranging from conflict and economic instability to climate change, parliamentary leaders from across the world today gathered in Islamabad for the inaugural Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference (ISC), aiming to forge a path toward peace through constructive engagement and dialogue rather than division.
Addressing the assembly, ISC Ambassador Ms. Misbah Khar extended a welcome to the visiting delegations, describing it as a ‘privilege and a great honour to host such a distinguished assembly of global legislators.’ The event was attended by high-profile figures including the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Honourable Chairman Senate.
Ms. Khar stated that the presence of speakers and representatives from different continents symbolized a collective international resolve to address global issues through cooperation and partnership.
The vision for the forum, she explained, was conceived earlier this year under the leadership of Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, when over 45 Speakers of Parliaments convened to lay its foundation. “The belief was simple,” Ms. Khar remarked, “that parliaments-the true voice of the people-must take the lead in shaping a safer, and more prosperous world.’
She praised Chairman Gilani’s diplomatic foresight, noting that his past experience as a Prime Minister and Speaker provided a “unique understanding of how diplomacy and democracy reinforce one another.” According to Khar, his vision transformed the ISC from an idea into a reality, creating “a bridge connecting nations and people through dialogue and trust.’
Centered on the theme ‘Peace, Security, and Development,’ the conference treats these as ‘interdependent pillars of global stability,’ not separate objectives. Ms. Khar underscored that the ISC’s guiding principles-interdependence, mutual prosperity, and shared values-are actionable commitments for shaping a more equitable world order.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to multilateral cooperation, she asserted that the nation ‘remains a peace-loving and forward-looking nation that believes in inclusivity, dialogue, and bridge-building among civilizations.’
A key outcome of the conference will be the Islamabad Communiqué, which Ms. Khar said would serve as a roadmap for practical parliamentary collaboration to promote justice, ethical governance, and shared progress.
“Pakistan’s own experience-its sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, its resilience in the face of natural disasters, and its pursuit of inclusive development-reminds us that nations grow stronger when they share lessons and support one another,” she remarked.
Concluding her address, the ambassador characterized the conference as ‘not merely an event, but the beginning of a shared journey toward a fairer, safer, and more sustainable world.’
She expressed confidence that the deliberations would be a ‘transformative step toward strengthening global parliamentary diplomacy’ and urged participants to make the ISC ‘a lasting bridge between continents founded on dialogue, justice, and mutual progress.’
‘Together,’ Ms. Khar concluded, ‘let us ensure that the work we begin here lights the path toward a world defined not by fear or division, but by hope, solidarity, and collective responsibility.’