Parliamentary heads of 6 countries meet in Pakistan

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AA) - The parliamentary heads of six nations on Sunday agreed to join hands against terrorism and for bringing peace in the region at a conference held in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.

The two-day conference, which focuses on the challenges of terrorism and interregional connectivity, was inaugurated by President Mamnoon Hussain.

The parliamentary heads of Turkey, Pakistan, China, Russia, Iran and Afghanistan along with their respective delegations are participating in the conference.

"Terrorism has affected many countries but Pakistan is its biggest victim since we have lost thousands of lives," Hussain told the participants, calling on them to explore common ground for combating terrorism, maintaining peace and enhancing cooperation.

The speakers criticized the U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision on Dec. 6 to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocate Washington’s embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested city.

"The world has rejected the Trump administration's decision and we appreciate the UN General Assembly for adopting a resolution against the U.S.' unilateral decision," Ismail Kahraman, speaker of the Turkish parliament, said.

He added the UN General Assembly’s vote was an important step toward peace in the Middle East.

The UN's 193-member General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution on Jerusalem by an overwhelming majority, calling on the U.S. to withdraw its recognition of the city as Israel's capital.

A total of 128 members voted in favor of the Jerusalem resolution, nine countries voted against and 35 others abstained. Twenty-one countries did not cast a vote.

Ismail Kahraman thanked the Speaker of National Assembly of Pakistan Ayaz Sadiq for hosting the first speaker conference of the regional countries and said it was going to yield "positive results".

"Terrorism is a crime against humanity and Turkey will stand with the world to eliminate this menace from the region as we have also suffered from terrorism," Kahraman said.

Pakistan’s Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani rejected the recent U.S. threats to Pakistan and said his country was a sovereign state and was not in the habit of taking dictations from anyone.

He was referring to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's Thursday statement in which he said the American president had put Pakistan on notice for allegedly providing safe havens to terrorists.

Rabbani said the U.S. was pursuing a policy of regime change and bringing destabilization in Muslim countries, particularly in the Middle East and promoting India as "policeman" in the region.

"The world has given a befitting reply to America when 128 nations rejected the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as capital of Israel," he added.