In a major step towards formation of an Intra-Parliamentary Union in South Asia, the SAARC parliamentarians conference has decided to set-up a South Asian Parliamentary Commission under Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and appoint a group of experts to prepare a roadmap for the proposed forum.

The Commission will have four MPs from each of the eight SAARC nations, who will be nominated by leading parliamentary parties, besides two experts from the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA). The step will help in initiation of a deliberative process, it is hoped.

Releasing the SAARC Shimla declaration this morning, at the end of the meet, SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam said participants overwhelmingly endorsed the initiative for creating an institutionalised interactive mechanism for parliamentarians of South Asia. “This has been the most tangible outcome of the Shimla meet, besides a host of issues listed in the declaration for effective regional cooperation for sustainable development and human security in the region,” he said.

Alam admitted that the formation of a full-fledged SAP may take a decade or two, but it was time to initiate the move and set-out a clear roadmap. The Commission has thus been set-up to push the process and lead to creation of a South Asian parliament--an evolution of a regional South Asian identity, without compromising on the sovereignty of the nation-states of the region, the SAFMA Secretary General said.

The nine-page declaration—which was delayed last evening after differences over inclusion of the Kashmir issue in the draft—covers a host of issues relating to unified economic growth in the region, human security, threat of terrorism and conflicts and the need for regional cooperation on social issues.

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