WHEN I walked into the grand halls of the international conference “The Challenges to World Peace Today” in Venice earlier this month, alongside the Chairman of the Senate, I carried with me a profound sense of duty—not just to my country, but to a guiding principle that has shaped my public life: that peace is not a distant dream, but a principle to be lived each day.
The Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, delivered a stirring keynote, one that didn’t just speak to diplomats or dignitaries, but reached deep into the moral fabric of everyone present. His words, “Peace is not merely the absence of war, it is the presence of justice and the celebration of diversity” captured what so many of us have long felt but struggled to articulate. In that room, with Archbishops from Venice,
Treviso, Vicenza and Piacenza, parliamentarians, peace activists and leaders from across Europe and Pakistan, I witnessed how the message of justice resonates far beyond our borders. Listening to Chairman Gillani recall the sacrifice of Shahbaz Bhatti—and speak from his own family’s experience with extremism and violence—reminded me once again that peace isn’t a static condition; it’s something you must fight for every single day. Pakistan has paid a steep price in blood and struggle, but our resilience has taught us a vital lesson: peace is not a luxury. It is a necessity, built on the foundations of human dignity, tolerance, and courage.
This wasn’t just another international engagement. It was a reaffirmation of Pakistan’s voice on the global stage as a serious advocate for dialogue, co-existence and moral leadership. For me personally, as someone who has long believed in the transformative power of dialogue, Venice reaffirmed that peace, real peace, is forged not in treaties, but in truth. And it is our task, as public servants, as citizens of the world, to keep forging it, even when the world forgets.
That is why I am proud to share a historic step Pakistan is about to take. In November 2025, Pakistan will host the first-ever Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference (ISC), an initiative led by Chairman Gillani, who also serves as the inaugural President of the ISC. This platform is not merely symbolic, it is strategic. It is designed to bring together parliamentary leaders from across regions to engage in meaningful, principled dialogue on peace, justice and global cooperation.
The ISC will not be a ceremonial gathering, it will be a space where real conversations can unfold, grounded in empathy and mutual respect. At a time when the world is fragmenting along political, economic and ideological lines, Pakistan is choosing to convene, to connect and to lead. When the world comes to Pakistan this November, we won’t just host a conference, we will offer a vision, a vision of leadership anchored in values and diplomacy shaped by purpose.
—The writer is Advisor to the Chairman Senate of Pakistan.
