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Aust High Commissioner Zorica McCarthy meets deputy speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly
The Deputy Speaker
National Assembly Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi has said that Pakistan values high its
relations with Australia and both the countries have similar views on global and
regional issues. The Deputy Speaker said this while talking to High Commissioner
of Australia, Zorica McCarthy, who called on him in the Parliament House in
Islamabad.
The Deputy Speaker said that democracy in Pakistan was gaining strength and the
new government has set its priorities for the welfare of the people of the
country. He said that provisions of education, health care, jobs and social
amenities were the top priorities of the government. He said that the people in
the February 18 elections voted for progressive political parties that showed
majority of Pakistani people were progressive and moderate.
Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi said that people were expecting a lot from the new
government and the government was committed to come up to the expectations of
masses. He said that the world democratic forces should give support to
strengthen democratic institutions in Pakistan. The Deputy Speaker said that
poverty illiteracy and non-availability of economic opportunities were the main
reasons of the extremism in the tribal areas. He underlined the need for
provisions of educational facilities, healthcare and jobs in the tribal areas
for curbing extremism there.
The High Commissioner of Australia H.E. Zorica McCarthy said that her government
would continue its support for democracy in Pakistan. She said that her
government of Australia would provide assistance to Pakistan in the fields of
education, health and agriculture. She also assured Australian Assistance to
expedite development in the tribal areas.
Faisal Karim Kundi
Faisal Karim Kundi, hails
from a known political family of the North West Frontier Province. He has the
honour of being the youngest (33 years old) Deputy Speaker from amongst so far
elected Deputy Speakers. Born in 1975 in Dera Ismail Khan and graduated from UK.
He had an intrinsic inclination towards politics and was groomed by Shaheed
Mohatarma Benazir Bhutto during her stay in London. He contested election from
NA-24 on PPP ticket in General Election of February 2008.
He started his political career in 2003 and served PPP as Divisional Coordinator
D.I.Khan Division. His father Fazal Karim Kundi was elected as MNA in 1990 on
PPP ticket, and remained Chairman District Council D.I.Khan for two consecutive
terms i.e. from 1983 to 1991. His maternal grand father Justice (R) Faizullah
Khan Kundi was also a member of the West Pakistan Assembly in 1960s. His
maternal grandfather served as Senior Judge of Peshawar High Court in sixty’s,
Federal Minister for Establishment in the PPP government of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali
Bhutto in 1971-72 and later as Chairman Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC)
from 1972 to 1979.
Faisal Karim Kundi’s great grandfather Barrister Abdul Rahim Kundi has the
distinction of being the first Deputy Speaker of the NWFP Legislative Assembly
from 1932 to 1937.
