5th General Assembly of ICAPP to be held on October
By Khalid Amin

ISLAMABAD—The fifth General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) would be started in Islamabad from October 17. The parties having five percent representation in their respective parliament are eligible to participate in the General Assembly of ICAPP.
The meeting of the Standing Committee was held in Islamabad under the auspices of the Senate of Pakistan on Saturday in which representatives of 12 political parties from different countries participated.
Expressing confidence over Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, the ICAPP has expressed the hope that the new coalition government would work for the promotion of democracy in Pakistan as well as in the region.
The former government by holding free, fair and transparent elections transferred power peacefully, observed by ICAPP.
The agenda of the General Assembly was also discussed during the meeting and other matters were discussed in detail.
Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mushahid Hussain Syed represented Pakistan in the meeting.
Addressing the meeting and later talking to media men, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs informed that Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Q and Pakistan Muslim League-N would host the General Assembly meeting jointly.
He said that the representatives of different political parties would share their views in the session of the General Assembly for the promotion of democracy and at the end of the conference, a joint declaration would be issued.
Mushahid Hussain Syed said that he talked with PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on the issues related to the ICAPP in the dinner hosted by the Prime Minister.
He further said that his suggestion for the theme of fifth meeting of the General Assembly of ICAPP has been approved under which issues related to reconciliation and extremism would be discussed.
The Standing Committee of ICAPP has also approved for the inclusion of Russia and Turkey in the Committee. It was also agreed in the meeting of the Standing Committee that the role of youths in the politics of Asian Counties would be promoted.
The meeting was participated by representatives of Russia, Turkey, Vietnam, Pakistan, South Korea, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Kazakhstan, China and Cambodia.