Session-IVSouth Asian Parliament

PRESIDIUM: Left to right: Professor S. D. Muni, Aitzaz Ahsan, PPP MP, Nazir Hossain, MP from Bangladesh, H. K. Dua, Editor, Tribune,

S. Nazimudeen, MP from Sri Lanka, P. P. Koya, MP from India, Vinod Sharma, SAFMA India General Secretary,

and Purusottam Dahal, Member of SAFMA Nepal Executive

PRESIDIUM: Left to right: Professor S. D. Muni, Aitzaz Ahsan, PPP MP, Nazir Hossain, MP from Bangladesh, H. K. Dua, Editor, Tribune,

S. Nazimudeen, MP from Sri Lanka, P. P. Koya, MP from India, Vinod Sharma, SAFMA India General Secretary,

and Purusottam Dahal, Member of SAFMA Nepal Executive

75

SOUTH ASIAN PARLIAMENT

76

Excerpts from Bhurban Declaration

A South Asian

Parliament

S.D. MuniS.D. Muni

77

SMILING APPROVAL: Indian MP Kiran Maheshwari and Pakistani MP Abida SaifSMILING APPROVAL: Indian MP Kiran Maheshwari and Pakistani MP Abida Saif

79

Time hasnt Come

Aitzaz AhsanAitzaz Ahsan

80

PRESIDIUM: Left to right: Aitzaz Ahsan, MP from Pakistan, Nazir Hossain, MP from Bangladesh, H. K. Dua, S. Nazimudeen, MP from Sri Lanka,

P. P. Koya, MP from India, Vinod Sharma, SAFMA India General Secretary and Purusottam Dahal, Member of Nepal Executive

PRESIDIUM: Left to right: Aitzaz Ahsan, MP from Pakistan, Nazir Hossain, MP from Bangladesh, H. K. Dua, S. Nazimudeen, MP from Sri Lanka,

P. P. Koya, MP from India, Vinod Sharma, SAFMA India General Secretary and Purusottam Dahal, Member of Nepal Executive 81

Report: Session-IV

Rejecting Aitzaz Ahsans alarmist view:

SAFMA Secretary General making a strong case for the

parliamentarians to take the centrestage

Rejecting Aitzaz Ahsans alarmist view:

SAFMA Secretary General making a strong case for the

parliamentarians to take the centrestage82

Shahid Siddiqui, MP from IndiaShahid Siddiqui, MP from India

Kunwar Khalid Younas, MP from PakistanKunwar Khalid Younas, MP from Pakistan

Kiran Maheshwari, MP from IndiaKiran Maheshwari, MP from India

83

NEED OF THE HOUR: South Asian Parliament: Maulana Ataur Rehman NEED OF THE HOUR: South Asian Parliament: Maulana Ataur Rehman

DEMOCRACY IS A MUST:

Gopal Thapaliya

DEMOCRACY IS A MUST:

Gopal Thapaliya

84

ADVOCATING SOCIAL JUSTICE: Ilyas Azami, MP from IndiaADVOCATING SOCIAL JUSTICE: Ilyas Azami, MP from India

Ashwini Kumar Ashwini Kumar

85

Relaxing after days exhaustive proceedings at the dinner

At a dinner by Makhdoom Amin Fahim,

President, PPP-Parliamentarian

86

Session-VCooperative Security in South Asia

PRESIDIUM: Ejaz Haider, N. M. Ameen, Coordinator of Sri Lanka chapter, R. M. Reddy, MP from India, Ravi Raj, MP from Sri Lanka,

Imtiaz Alam, SAFMA Secretary General, Shahiduzzaman, MP from Bangladesh

PRESIDIUM: Ejaz Haider, N. M. Ameen, Coordinator of Sri Lanka chapter, R. M. Reddy, MP from India, Ravi Raj, MP from Sri Lanka,

Imtiaz Alam, SAFMA Secretary General, Shahiduzzaman, MP from Bangladesh

87

COOPERATIVE SECURITY88

Session-V

Conflict Resolution Mechanism

Ejaz HaiderEjaz Haider

89

Bangladeshi delegatesBangladeshi delegates

90

Strong advocates of democracy in Nepal: Purusottam Dahal, Sri Ram Basnet, Nirmala Sharma, Gopal ThapaliyaStrong advocates of democracy in Nepal: Purusottam Dahal, Sri Ram Basnet, Nirmala Sharma, Gopal Thapaliya

91

Cooperative Security

Prof. C. Raja MohanProf. C. Raja Mohan

92

93

C. Raja Mohan and Ejaz Haider

R. M Reddy, Ravi Raaj, Imtiaz Alam, Shahiduzzaman, MP from Bangladesh, Kunwar Khalid Younas, MP from PakistanR. M Reddy, Ravi Raaj, Imtiaz Alam, Shahiduzzaman, MP from Bangladesh, Kunwar Khalid Younas, MP from Pakistan94

95

Report: Session-V

Cooperative Security in South Asia

Pallam Raju, Dr. Satyanarayan Jatiya, Abdul Rashid Shaheen,

MPs from India

Pallam Raju, Dr. Satyanarayan Jatiya, Abdul Rashid Shaheen,

MPs from India

96

97

Kazi Zafarullah from BangladeshKazi Zafarullah from Bangladesh

98

PPP MPs from PakistanPPP MPs from Pakistan

99

A bright viewA bright view

Making a Difference: Bangladeshi delegationMaking a Difference: Bangladeshi delegation

100

Session-VISouth Asian Human Rights Code

Presidium: (Left to right) Gopal Thapaliya, Abu Hena, Iqbal Haider, Asma Jehangir, Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, Nazimuddin,

Excellency Janis Bjrn Kanavin, Ambassador of Norway

Presidium: (Left to right) Gopal Thapaliya, Abu Hena, Iqbal Haider, Asma Jehangir, Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, Nazimuddin,

Excellency Janis Bjrn Kanavin, Ambassador of Norway

101

HU

MAN

RIG

HTS

CO

DE

102

Excerpts from Bhurban Declaration

A Human Rights

Code for South Asia

Iqbal HaiderIqbal Haider

103

Asma Jehangir, Chairperson, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan,

making her presidential address

Asma Jehangir, Chairperson, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan,

making her presidential address

104

The Human Rights Code under studyThe Human Rights Code under study

105

Mr Aimaduddin, leader of the Congress party from India, making his presentationMr Aimaduddin, leader of the Congress party from India, making his presentation

106

member states may be

persuaded to agree to

a d o p t a u n i f o r m

comprehensive Human

Rights Code/Convention,

enforceable on all the

member states of South

Asia. Once SAARC Summit

takes the decision in

principle, it can appoint a

group of eminent human

rights activists to prepare a

Draft Human Rights Code

with the help of the UN

Human Rights Charter,

European Convention on

Human Rights and other

related treaties.

2. Identify the maximum

possible International

Conventions/Treaties & Human Rights/European Court of Human Rights, the African Commission

Charters relating to human rights issues, of Human and People Rights, are successful illustrations of a step by step

which the member states of SAARC agree to building block approach and should stimulate joint efforts in evolving a

honour, abide and enforce.regional mechanism for the protection and promotion of human rights in

South Asia, as well. What appears to be lacking is sincerity of purpose and 3. Across the border cooperation is needed

bona fide commitment to set up such regional mechanisms. A beginning among the SAARC countries, to prevent and

should be made with certain minimum common denominators of easily eradicate human rights abuses, terrorism

achievable objectives, projects and programmes. A regional common and other organised crime and undesirable

mechanism for South Asian Countries must precede the establishment of practices such as slavery, trafficking of

Official/Statutory Human Rights Commissions/Courts at national level in women and children, drugs, smuggling etc.

all member states of SAARC. As stated above, at least three of the SAARC

4. Extending help and assistance to the countries already have official independent autonomous national human

governments of each other member states rights institutions. Other member states must establish the same without

of SAARC, in their endeavour to establish further delay in accordance with the 'Paris Principles', to provide the first

their own national institutions, in effective edifice for the protection and promotion of human rights in the

conformity with the Paris Principles, to region.

promote and protect human rights.

(Iqbal Haider is a former Senator, Attorney General and Federal Minister 5. Mutual support to strengthen the capacity

for Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, Pakistan)of national institutions of the member

states of SAARC to undertake their

mandates.

In this regard, the European Convention of

Asma Jehangir: No concession for the violators of Human RightsAsma Jehangir: No concession for the violators of Human Rights

107

110

Report: Session-V

Support for

HR CodeRapporteur: Renu Mittal

Asma Jehangir:

You have to have a Human Rights Court in South Asia

Asma Jehangir:

You have to have a Human Rights Court in South Asia

Sherry Rehman: Implement human rights in all countriesSherry Rehman: Implement human rights in all countries

112

Avinash Rai Khanna: Indeed, human rights indivisibleAvinash Rai Khanna: Indeed, human rights indivisible

CUT DEFENCE BUDGET FOR SOCIAL SECTOR:

Professor Kum Kum Rai, MP from India

CUT DEFENCE BUDGET FOR SOCIAL SECTOR:

Professor Kum Kum Rai, MP from India

113

Making his point, Abdul Rashid ShaheenMaking his point, Abdul Rashid Shaheen

114

Most punctual of allMost punctual of all

116

Asma with the delegates Asma with the delegates

117

Consultations at lunch

118

Session-VIIRight to Know and Independence of media

PRESIDIUM: (Left to right) Nikhil Kumar, MP from India, I. A. Rehman, Director, Human Rights Commission of Pakisan, Reazuddin Ahmed, President of SAFMA,

Excellency Ann Wilkens, Ambassador of Sweden, Abu Hena, MP from India, Gopal Thapaliya, President of SAFMA, Nepal

SECRETARIAT: Aroosa Alam, K. K. Katyal, Nirmala Sharma, Ghazi Salahuddin

PRESIDIUM: (Left to right) Nikhil Kumar, MP from India, I. A. Rehman, Director, Human Rights Commission of Pakisan, Reazuddin Ahmed, President of SAFMA,

Excellency Ann Wilkens, Ambassador of Sweden, Abu Hena, MP from India, Gopal Thapaliya, President of SAFMA, Nepal

SECRETARIAT: Aroosa Alam, K. K. Katyal, Nirmala Sharma, Ghazi Salahuddin

119

INDEPENDENCE OF MEDIA

120

Excerpts from Bhurban Declaration

The right to know

in South Asia

I. A. Rehman I. A. Rehman

121

122

Independence of

Media and Free

Flow of InformationImtiaz Alam

Imtiaz Alam presenting his paper on the freedom of pressImtiaz Alam presenting his paper on the freedom of press123

124

Responding to

People's Right

to Know

Ann Wilkens, Ambassador of Sweden

Excellency Ann Wilkens, Ambassador of SwedenExcellency Ann Wilkens, Ambassador of Sweden

125

Informal Interaction

Indo-Pak delegates consider plans for second conference

of parliamentarians from the two countries

Triangular consultation

Nepalese delegation briefing the MPs on the situation in Nepal

127

SAFMA seniors: Agha Nasir, Ghazi Salahuddin, Hussain Naqi, Sabihuddin Ghausi, M Ziauddin, Raja Asghar

128

Safma's Parliamentary Forum:South Asian Parliament:

Evolving South Asian FraternityDeclaration

PRESIDIUM: Kunwar Sarvraj Singh, MP from India, Sardar Shakhwat Hossain Bakul, MP from Bangladesh, Vinod Sharma, Imtiaz Alam, H. K. Dua,

SECRETARIAT: Gopal Thapaliya, Reazuddin Ahmed and Zahiduzzaman Faruque

PRESIDIUM: Kunwar Sarvraj Singh, MP from India, Sardar Shakhwat Hossain Bakul, MP from Bangladesh, Vinod Sharma, Imtiaz Alam, H. K. Dua,

SECRETARIAT: Gopal Thapaliya, Reazuddin Ahmed and Zahiduzzaman Faruque

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

At Luncheon-

ReceptionBy Ch. Shujaat Hussain,

President, Pakistan Muslim League

136

Concluding Ceremony

SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam presenting SAFMA Conference IV booklet to President Pervez Musharraf while asking

him to fulfil the promises he made in his address at the moot

137

Grasping Fleeting Moments for PeaceExcerpts from President General Pervez Musharraf s

address to the concluding ceremony

President General Pervez MusharrafPresident General Pervez Musharraf

138

All attention to President Pervez Musharraf's speechAll attention to President Pervez Musharraf's speech

President Musharraf, along with FM Kasuri,

responding to the applause

President Musharraf, along with FM Kasuri,

responding to the applause

139

A good view of the concluding ceremonyA good view of the concluding ceremony

A haughty laughter to a remarkA haughty laughter to a remark

140

H K Dua at the question-answer sessionH K Dua at the question-answer session

Kashmala Tariq, MP, PML, addressing the gatheringKashmala Tariq, MP, PML, addressing the gathering

141

President Musharraf asking the Minister of State for Interior to implement his promise on liberal visa for journalistsPresident Musharraf asking the Minister of State for Interior to implement his promise on liberal visa for journalists

Barkha Dutt: what is your Kashmir solution?Barkha Dutt: what is your Kashmir solution?

142

Chief Minister of the Punjab, Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi with the Indian delegation on their visit to Lahore

143

Making SAARC Dynamic

Excerpts from Foreign Minister

Khurshid Mahmood Kasuris

address to the concluding session

144

Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri expanding relations across the regional partiesForeign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri expanding relations across the regional parties

145

Snaps from a musical evening arranged by Minister of State for Culture and Youth Affairs Muhammad Ali Durrani146

Bangladeshi delegation on a sightseeing tour Exchanging pleasantries

Reporter of the conference: Geo television correspondent Asma Shirazi

Arrival

Delegates with Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani

Ambassadors of Switzerland, Canada and Norway

147

Krishna, MP.

Communist Party of India (CPI): DelegatesMr. Sudhakar Reddy, MP, Mr Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta, MP.

BangladeshRevolutionary Socialist Party (RSP):

Mr N.K. Premchandran, MP. Bangladesh Nationalist Party:

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M): Abu Hena, Member of Parliament, Sardar Shakhawat Hossain

Mr. Nilotpal Basu, MP, Party Leader in Rajya Sabha, Mr. Bakul, MP, Harunur Rashid, MP, Shahiduzzaman, MP, Nazir

Hannan Mollah, MP, Chief Whip of party in Lok Sabha. Hossain, MP

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP): Awami League: Mr Iliyas Azmi, MP, Mr Mitrsen Yadav, MP. Kazi Zafar Ullah, MP, Nur-e-Alam Liton, MP, Dr. Alauddin

Ahmed, MP, Mohammed Ali, MP. Telugu Desam Party (TDP):

Mr. R. M. Reddy, MP, S.M. Laljan Basha, Member, Rajya Sabha.

Jatiya Party:

G.M. Quader, MP. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP):

Mr. Ram Chandra Paswan, MP

Jamaat-e-Islami:

Shah Mohammad Ruhul Quddus, MP. Samajwadi Party (SP):

Mr Shahid Sidiqui, MP, Mr Uday Pratap Singh, MP.

Independent:

M. M. Shaheen, MP. Janata Dal-United (JD-A):

Dr P.P. Koya, MP, Shri Kunwar Sarvraj Singh, MP.

SAFMA:

Reazuddin Ahmed, President, SAFMA, Editor, The News Today. National Conference (NC):

Zahiduzzaman Faruque, General Secretary, Shaukat Mahmood, Mr Abdul Rashid Shaheen, MP.

Bazlur Rahman, Editor, Daily Shangbad, Mahbubul Alam,

SAFMA Executive: Editor, The Independent, Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury, Motiur

Mr Krishan Kumar Katyal (K. K. Katyal), President SAFMA, Mr Rahman Chowdhury, Editor, Kazi Golam Mostofa, Muhammad

Vinod Kumar Sharma, General Secretary, Mr Sushant Sareen, P. Ashraful Alam.

L. Uniyal, Renu Mittal

India

Editors and Senior Journalists: Congress Party:

Zahid Ali Khan, Editor, the Siasat daily, Mr Harikishan Dua Mr Nikhil Kumar, Member, Lok Sabha, Shri Mallipudi

(H.K. Dua), Editor-in-Chief, the Tribune, Chandigarh, Mr Mangapati Pallam Raju, Member, Lok Sabha, Mr Ashwini

Maharaj Kishan Razdan, Editor-in-chief, PTI (Press Trust of Kumar, Member, Rajya Sabha, Dr. Prabha Thakur, Member,

India), Mrs Neerja Choudhury, Indian Express, Mr. Pankaj Rajya Sabha, Mr Madhu Goud Yaskhi, MP, Aimaduddin Ahmed

Vohra, Associate Editor Hindustan Times, Rajat Sharma, Khan, Former Rajya Sabha member.

Chairman India TV, Mr Siddharth Varadarajan, Deputy Editor

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) The Hindu, Barkha Dutt, NDTV, Ashish Joshi, Aaj Kal,

Mr. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Member, Rajya Sabha, Mr. Ravi Ritambara Shastri, Mr Vinod Kumar Dua, Television

Shankar Prasad, MP, Mr. Uday Singh, MP, Mrs. Kiran personality, Mr. Deepak Goyal, UNI, Manoranjan Bharti,

Maheshwari, MP, Mr. Avinash Rai Khanna, MP, Dr. Satya Narain Special Correspondent, NDTV-India

Jatiya, MP, Mr Nalin Satyakam Kohli, Convener of BJP National

Experts:Media Cell.

Prof. C. Rajamohan, Professor School of South Asian Studies,

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD): Ramaswamy R Iyer, Prof. Sukh Deo Muni (SD Muni), Professor

Prof. Kumkum Rai, MP, Mr. Alok K Mehta, MP, Mr. Vijay School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University,

148

Prof. Mahendra. P. Lama, Professor. Editor-in-Chief, Daily Mashriq, Mr. Afzal Khan, Special

Correspondent, Khaleej Times and Daily Nation, Mr. Nusrat

Nepal Javeed, Senior Correspondent, The News, Ms. Aroosa Alam, Editors and SAFMA Executive: President SAFMA-Islamabad, Special Correspondent, Pakistan Mr Gopal Thapaliya, President, SAFMA, Nepal, Ms Nirmala

Observer, Mr. Agha Nasir, Senior Broadcaster and Director, Sharma, Secretary, SAFMA, Nepal, Mr Purusottam Dahal,

Geo-TV, Mr. Muralidhar Reddy, Resident Correspondent, Daily Member of Executive, Mr T. P. Pokhrel, Sri Ram Basnet, National

the Hindu (India), Mr Sabihuddin Ghausi, Dawn, Karachi, Ghazi News Agency

Salahuddin, GEO TV, Karachi, Dr Jabbar Khattak, Editor-in-

Chief, Awami Awaz, Mr Aamer Mahmood, President, SAFMA, Pakistan

Karachi, Mr Mujahid Barelvi, Indus TV, Mr Wirasat Hussain

Rizvi, Business Recorder, Karachi, Mr Munnoo Bhai, President, Pakistan Muslim League (PML): SAFMA, Punjab, Syed Mumtaz Ahmed, Vice-President, Senator Wasim Sajjad, Leader of the House/ Senate, Mr. Nisar

SAFMA-Pakistan, Mr Waqar Mustafa, Deputy Editor, South Memon, Senator, Dr. Rozina Tufail, MNA, Mr. Rozina Alam,

Asian Media Net, Hussain Naqi, Editor, Media Monitor, Mr Senator, Mr. Farooq Amjad Mir, MNA, Mr. Akram Zaki, Senator,

Azhar Jaffery, Photographer, Ms Munize Jehangir, NDTVMs. Kashmala Tariq, MNA, Dr Shahzad Waseem, State Minister

for Interior, Mushahid Hussain, Senator, Muhammad Ali Experts:

Durrani, Minister of State for Culture and Youth Affairs Aitzaz Ahsan, MNA PPP, Senior Parliamentarian, and

Constitutional Lawyer, Mr I. A Rehman, Director HRCP, Ms Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPP-P): Asma Jehangir, UN Rapporteur, Dr Akmal Hussain, Economist, Ms Sherbano Sherry Rehman, MNA, Syed Naveed Qamar, MNA,

Dr A. R. Kemal, Economist, Mr Iqbal Haider, Gen. Secretary, Mr. Farhatullah Babar, Senator, Mr. Sajjad Hussain Bokhari,

HRCP, Mr Shahid Hussain, Expert.Senator, Ms Shakeela Khanum Rasheed, MNA, Ms Yasmeen

Rehman, MNA. Sri Lanka

United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA): Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA): Mr Siripathi Suriarachchi, Deputy Minister Sports and Youth Maulana Fazalur Rehman, MNA, Leader of Opposition, Mr. Affairs, Mr Rohana Dissanayake, Deputy Minister for Poverty Ataur Rahman, MNA, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, MNA, Sahibzada Alleviation. Abu Alkhair, MNA, Asadullah Bhutto, MMA.

United National Party (UNP): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N): Akila Kariyawasam, MP, Mr Dayantha Karunathilleke, MP, Mr Ms. Maimoona Hashmi, MNA, Mr. Mahmoodul Hassan, MNA, MHM Haleem, MP. Ms. Saadia Abbasi, Senator.

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM): Mr S Nazamudeen, MP. Dr. Farooq Satar, MNA, Mr. Iqbal Ali Khan, MNA, Kanwar

Khalid Younus, MNA, Mr. Haider Rizvi, MNA, Mr. Nisar Panwar, Tamil National Alliance:

MNA, Ms. Abida Saif, Senator. Mr M Ravi Raj, Mr H R Mitthapala, MP.

PPP (Patriot): Editors:

Ms. Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, Minister of State for Information and Mr Manik de Silva, Island, Mr Victor Ivan, Ravaya, Mr MPM

Broadcasting, Mr. Mohammad Faiz Tamman, MNA, Azhar, Navamani, Mr R Barathi, Mr Ashan Wijethunge, Mr

Parliamentary Secretary for Defence ProductionNimal Ekanayake, Mr Mahinda Abeysundera, Dinamina, Mr N

M Ameen, SAFMA Organizer.SAFMA and Journalists:

Mr Imtiaz Alam, Secretary General, SAFMA, Mr. M. Ziauddin,

President, SAFMA, Pakistan, Editor, Daily Dawn, Islamabad,

Mr. Mustansar Javed, General Secretary, SAFMA, Pakistan,

149