Scotland has an international presence and warm relations with the international community.
When it comes to Pakistan, there have been no or little contacts between the public and more importantly the youth of the countries. This petition calls for the Honourable Scottish Parliament to request the Scottish Government to help establish and endorse the Scottish-Pakistan Youth Council to bring the people of the two countries closer.
The Scottish Government International Framework is at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/221041/0059464.pdf
Paragraph 19 highlights that the Scottish Government shall be keen to have new priorities with the Commonwealth especially with countries such as India and Pakistan.
What is important to note is the point being made here:
“We will in particular look to further work we can do to strengthen links with India, recognising its tremendous potential research ability and capability that exists within this developing economy and the strong and growing educational links between Scotland and India.”
A visible difference is also present if we look at the Pakistan plan and the India plan:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/09/PakistanPlan
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/03/IndiaPlan
1. The lengths to which specific years and measurable programmes and plans have been mentioned in the Indian plan completely ignore that of Pakistan.
2. It has been emphasized a number of times during the plan that Scotland and India have historic relations. While in the true sense both India and Pakistan have equal lengths of historic relations since 1947.
3. Specific areas have been dealt with and measurable outcomes have been provided in the India plan.
4. Two-way Ministerial visits have been planned for India, while nothing has been noted in the Pakistan plan.
5. There is no office of the Scottish Development International in Pakistan compared with one in India.
6. Explore the potential for expanding the air route infrastructure between Scotland and India in the medium to long term.
Considering the above documents and websites, one must take notice that more needs to be done to ensure that Scotland and Pakistan enjoy relations at an increased level. It is due to this believe that I wish to establish the Scottish-Pakistan Youth Council which will indeed help the people come closer and allow Pakistan a special and deserving position in the Scottish Government’s International Framework when work is done. The Council would allow the Pakistani side to interact with the Scottish side and therefore more avenues would be brought forward for cooperation and collaboration.
I would like the Hon. Members to note that if Africa is an underdeveloped continent, it has not been left out by the International community; rather it has been provided more support to become a developed continent. Another analogy which the Hon. Members may wish to note is that within Africa, South Africa is a developed country and taking example of South Asia, so is India in South Asia, yet we still help the other African countries and therefore we must help Pakistan also.
I propose the establishment of the council for the following objectives:
a) to promote youth involvement in issues of importance to both countries;
b) to promote and strengthen youth self-reliance in both countries;
c) to contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of bilateral issues;
d) to promote active collaboration among youth in the socio-economic, cultural, technical and scientific fields;
e) to strengthen youth cooperation between the two countries;
My petition calls for endorsement by the Scottish Government to ensure that the views and the voice of the collective wisdom and the body that forms out of this petition is heard. I am not sure how this would be possible if the body / council is not endorsed.
I humbly request the Honourable Scottish Parliament to endorse and be a stakeholder in the establishment of a Scottish-Pakistan Youth Council.
I must also applaud and welcome the services and interest of Fiona Hyslop MSP for launching the strategic plans in 2010.