Islamabad: Sardar Ayaz Sadiq met a delegation of civil servants from Bangladesh at the Parliament House in Islamabad and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to strengthening parliamentary and bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
During the meeting, the Speaker highlighted the longstanding historical, cultural and people-to-people relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh. He also shared details of his recent visit to Bangladesh to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, where he represented Pakistan and conveyed condolences on behalf of the people and Parliament of Pakistan.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said the warmth and affection extended by the people and leadership of Bangladesh reflected a shared desire for enhanced parliamentary and diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
The Speaker informed the delegation that strengthening democratic institutions, ensuring transparency and modernizing parliamentary procedures remained among his top priorities. He said the National Assembly was moving towards becoming a fully digital and paperless Parliament and that iPads had been provided to Members of the National Assembly for digital access to parliamentary business, legislation, agendas and committee proceedings.
He said the initiative would improve efficiency and transparency while helping save public resources and promote environmentally sustainable parliamentary practices.
The Speaker further stated that efforts were underway to integrate modern technology and artificial intelligence into parliamentary functioning in order to enhance institutional efficiency, research capacity and legislative performance.
He also emphasized the importance of Parliament's role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly through legislation and policy reforms related to education, gender equality, climate action, poverty alleviation and inclusive development.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also highlighted the role of the Women's Parliamentary Caucus in promoting women's empowerment, gender-sensitive legislation and greater participation of women in democratic processes. He noted that the National Assembly had taken several important steps to strengthen women's representation and safeguard their rights through effective parliamentary oversight and legislation.
The Bangladeshi delegation appreciated the parliamentary reforms and digital initiatives undertaken under the Speaker's leadership and expressed interest in enhanced parliamentary cooperation and exchange of experiences between the two countries.