‘IPU members to help earthquake affectees’
By Asim Hussain

ISLAMABAD—Speaker National Assembly Chaudhry Amir Hussain on Sunday said that the participants of 13th meeting of Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) have pledged to provide every possible assistance to quake-affectees.
Talking to journalists here at Islamabad International Airport, Ch Amir Hussain said the Union’s members have promised to motivate their concerned governments to help those who affected with the earthquake.
Speaker National Assembly, who reached here on Sunday attending three-day IPU Conference held in Geneva alongwith six- member parliamentary delegation told journalists that the delegation apprised the conference members about the situation created after severe earthquake in the areas of NWFP and AJK. He said Pakistan had tabled emergency item on the earthquake in the IPU Conference seeking the support of member countries for relief and rehabilitation of quake-affected people.
He said the topic of the agenda was ‘devastating earthquake inSouth asia and parliamentary support and cooperation in the rehabilitation and development of affected areas’. He added the members discussed indetail the item and assured full support to Pakistan in this hard time.
He said members countries also proposed various measures to motivate the donors and other concerned to fully support the affected people of earthquake. Ch. Amir Hussain said that Pakistani delegation during conference underlined the need of effective role of IPU members to realize their respective governments regarding needs and requirements of quake-affected people.
He said during their stay in Geneva, Pakistani delegation also met with the heads of various donor agencies and internationalorganizations including WHO.
He said the delegation in separate meetings with heads of IPU conference thanked the member countries for their assistance provided to Pakistan so far and appealed to continue their support in this regard.
He said the conference also discussed some other issues including protection of women rights and war against international terrorism and proposed several plans to protect women rights and control terrorism.
He said it is for the first time that Pakistan has elected member of IPU’s Draft Committee after withdrawal of Iran in favour of Pakistan.
He said the next IPU meeting will be held in Kenya.