Empowering young people in politics was front and centre as CPA UK welcomed a visit from twelve members of the Youth Parliament of Pakistan on a significant day for UK politics.  

This visit was one of series of engagements between the Youth Parliament of Pakistan and the UK Parliament, most-recently a one-day event hosted by CPA UK in July 2023. The 2024 programme coincided with a significant day in UK politics, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the calling of the UK General Election. The young people were present in Westminster as news broke of the election announcement. 

The delegation joined a variety of panel sessions and activities with UK members and officials, exploring the structure and functions of the UK Parliament. The programme aimed to promote a greater mutual understanding of Pakistani and UK politics, and to highlight the role of young people can play in both contexts. 

President of Youth Parliament of Pakistan Ubaid ur Rehman Qureshi said:  

“Our visit to the UK Parliament offered a unique opportunity to explore its history, interact with Members of Parliament, and attend the Prime Minister's Question Time, providing valuable lessons on youth engagement in policy and reforms. Moreover, such interactions helped us understand the British governance and parliamentary system, emphasizing the need for collective action among the young generation to address global challenges like climate change, harassment, freedom of expression, migration crises, and women's rights.” 

Youth activist and former member of the UK Youth Parliament, Arqam Al-Hadeed joined the delegation throughout the day, and led a discussion on youth participation in politics. He shared that it is important to set and maintain clear aims to bring about political change. Arqam used the UK Youth Parliament’s role in giving a voice to under 18s, who are ineligible to vote in the UK, as an example of this, while noting that this aim would differ in the Youth Parliament of Pakistan, whose members range from 18 to 29 years old. 

Arqam shared his experience of successfully campaigning in Leeds to lower bus fares for students as an example of effective activism. He stressed the importance of participating in public forums to push for changes on behalf of young people as being integral to achieving this outcome. Nonetheless, he emphasised the need to constantly assess campaigns in order to understand the factors that led to their success or failure, and subsequently apply this knowledge when deciding which causes to devote their time to in future.  

Following the programme, Arqam shared that: 

“It was an incredible honour to share my political journey and the transformative work of the UK Youth Parliament with members of the Pakistan Youth Parliament. Extending dialogue among youth leaders internationally is essential for fostering global understanding and collaboration, and this event marked a significant step towards that vision. I’m truly inspired by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK’s efforts to strengthen bonds between other Commonwealth countries, and I am thrilled to be part of such a meaningful initiative.”