Karachi, 1 February 2026:
The Provincial Assembly of Sindh will host the 7th CPA Asia Regional Conference and the 2nd Joint CPA Asia & South-East Asia Regional Parliamentary Conference from 3 to 7 February 2026 at the Sindh Assembly, Karachi.
This international parliamentary conference, being held under the theme “Parliaments of the Future: Redefining Democracy through Trust, Inclusion, Innovation and Peace,” will be the first global parliamentary conference hosted by the Sindh Assembly since 2012.
The Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, will be the Chief Guest at the inaugural session and will formally inaugurate the conference. The Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, Syed Awais Qadir Shah, will deliver the welcome address, while the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Honourable Dr. Christopher Kalila, MP, will deliver the keynote address. Senior Minister Sindh, Sharjeel Inam Memon, will also address the inaugural session.
More than 150 parliamentarians, including Speakers, Deputy Speakers, and parliamentary experts, representing 17 legislative assemblies from Asia and South-East Asia, will participate in the conference.
During the conference, plenary and breakout sessions will be held on key themes including peace and democratic trust, parliamentary education, fake news, artificial intelligence and disinformation, climate change and environmental legislation, parliamentary accountability, gender, technology, and online harassment.
In the plenary session on peace and democratic trust, Speakers and Deputy Speakers from Sri Lanka, Maldives, Malaysia, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir will share their views. Former Chairman Senate Senator Raza Rabbani will also address this plenary session.
A special session on climate change, is scheduled in context of the devastating floods of 2022, that will focus on climate resilience, disaster response, protection of vulnerable communities, and the role of parliaments. The session will be moderated by Senator Sherry Rehman.
The technology-focused plenary session will address challenges such as online and digital harassment faced by women parliamentarians, deepfakes, and emerging digital threats.
At the closing session, CPA Secretary General Stephen Twigg will deliver an important address, while the Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, will attend as the Chief Guest. The conference will conclude with the adoption of the Karachi Charter.
This international parliamentary conference is expected to serve as a significant milestone in promoting regional cooperation, democratic stability, and parliamentary diplomacy.
