Islamabad, December 05: First-ever Youth Parliament Pakistan will commence its sixth and final session here on Wednesday, December 05, 2007. The Youth Parliament, a 60-member assembly of 18 to 29 years old persons hailing from all the four provinces, Islamabad Capital Territory, FATA, FANA and Azad Kashmir, came into being in January 2007 facilitated by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development And Transparency - PILDAT. The Youth Parliament has met for 24 days so far during 2007 in 5 sessions and has debated a number of policies of the Government of Pakistan and formulated and forwarded their alternative policies/recommendations to the Government and other entities. The Youth Parliament works on the pattern of the National Assembly of Pakistan and has a Youth Prime Minister, a Youth Cabinet, a Leader of the Opposition, a shadow cabinet and a Deputy Speaker. The Youth Parliament also has 6 standing committees. Two political parties-the green Party and the blue party-operate within the parliament with their distinct manifestoes and party positions.

While the Youth Parliament Pakistan has provided a forum to the Pakistani youth to engage in healthy discourse it has also served to encourage active democratic citizenship and has provided a non-partisan opportunity to gain a practical educational experience in leadership, public speaking and debate on issues of concern to young people in Pakistan.

The final session of the Youth Parliament will meet in Islamabad for five days from Wednesday December 05 to Sunday December 09, 2007. The key agenda of the House includes deliberation, voting and adoption of a Youth Manifesto 2007 spelling out the stand of the Youth Parliament on various key issues facing Pakistani youth today prepared by the members of Youth Parliament Pakistan-MYPs.  The Youth Manifesto 2007 after its adoption will be launched, circulated among and lobbied with various political parties in Pakistan for inclusion in their Election Manifestoes and ultimately in their policy frameworks. To this end the members of the Youth Parliament expect to arrange a panel discussion with the Chairs of Manifesto Committees from key Political Parties of Pakistan.  

Other topics for debate include Vision for Pakistan, Imposition of Emergency Rule as well as Challenges for Eradicating Bonded Labour in the country. A number of resolutions, calling attention notices and a Bill on AIDS prevention are also expected to be taken up during the session.

PILDAT – a  dedicated non-partisan research and training institute committed to strengthening democracy and democratic institutions in Pakistan conceived the idea, facilitated the formation and now serves as the secretariat of Youth Parliament Pakistan. Mohammedmian Soomro, Chairman Senate as patron of Youth Parliament inaugurated the first session in January 2007. The Youth Parliament has been addressed by distinguished guest speakers including Rt. Honourable Mr. David Miliband, MP & Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, UK,  former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Shaukat Aziz, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry , Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Mr. Nasir Khan, former Federal Minister for Health among many others.