Summit on Punjab inclusive governance concludes

LAHORE:The 2nd Punjab Inclusive Governance Summit 2025 was organised jointly by Youth Development Foundation (YDF) and the Parliamentary Development Unit of the Punjab Assembly at the historic Old Assembly Hall on Friday.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan, for the first time in the province's legislative history, presided over a dedicated session with Minority Civic Agents (MCAs) - a symbolic and strategic step toward inclusive governance. The participants appreciated PA speaker’s participation in summit and termed it as a powerful endorsement of diversity within the democratic process.

PA Speaker ensured his full support to the minority programme and ask YDF to engaged with minorities caucus for their capacity building and engagement in the project. The summit brought together minority civic leaders, public representatives and senior govt officials to engage in meaningful dialogue on issues of inclusivity, representation, and public service delivery.

Senator Khalil Tahir Sindhu, the only Christian senator in Pakistan, joined hands with MPA Sonia Ashir (Parliamentary Secretary HRMA) MPA Shakeela Javed Aurthur, MPA Kanwal Liaqat, MPA Ahmad Iqbal Chaudhary, MPA Rana M Arshad, Ch Amer Habib, Secretary General of the Punjab Assembly, and Usama Khawar Ghumman, Advisor to the Speaker attended the summit.

YDF Executive Director Shahid Rehmat and convener of the summit, was widely praised by participants for his vision and commitment to the empowerment of minority communities.

In his remarks, Shahid thanked the PA speaker for embracing the cause of inclusivity and noted that such forums help reinforce faith in democratic institutions among marginalised groups. He emphasised that the summit provided a safe, respectful platform where minority voices could be heard without fear or restriction.

He shared that YDF, with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), has been implementing a robust programme to enhance inclusive governance across Lahore and Faisalabad, focusing on empowering youth, women, and minority leaders through structured civic training.

Through this initiative, YDF has trained 300 Minority Civic Agents across more than 80 Union Councils, equipping them with knowledge of local governance mechanisms, community engagement techniques, and public accountability tools.