South Asian ex-Prime Ministers Forum formed in Islamabad to strengthen democracy

Lahore: Three former prime ministers of Nepal and Pakistan meeting in Islamabad over breakfast at the residence of former prime minister of Pakistan, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain decided to form a forum of former prime ministers of SAARC countries to promote democracy and good governance.

This decision was taken when two former prime ministers of Nepal, Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal joined the former prime minister of Pakistan, Chaudhry Shujat Hussain over breakfast in the presence of representatives of India and Bangladesh who also endorsed this proposal, with Atal Bihari Vajpaee and Dr. Manmohan Singh, two former prime ministers of India and Bangladesh, Khalida Zia, former prime minister of Bangladesh also joining in as the founder members.

Vijay Jolly, a prominent leader of the ruling BJP of India and Mehboob Alam, a leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party were present at the breakfast along with Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Secretary General of the Pakistan Muslim League, who hosted the recent International Asian Political Parties Conference along with PML-N, PTI and PPP.

The former prime minister of Nepal, Madhav Kumar Nepal was nominated as the Convener of the SAARC former Prime Ministers Forum, while Chaudhry Shujat Hussain is the Pakistan coordinator of the SAARC PM Forum to coordinate with four other former prime ministers of Pakistan, namely, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Mir Zafrullah Khan Jamali and Shaukat Aziz.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain offered to host the first formal meeting of the forum of former prime ministers in Pakistan at a mutually convenient date within this year in 2016, an offer that was accepted by the other participants.