Deepening inequalities across societies globally is turning up as a major challenge for the world, Pakistani leader Sherry Rehman said here on Saturday.
Rehman, a member of the Pakistan senate and vice president of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was speaking at a session titled "Creating a peaceful world of tomorrow" during the World Culture Festival being held here.
She said that although peace is a "broad global ambition" that all the leaders share, but it is not easy to achieve.
"This is the time of deep social and economic stress. I see a very serious challenge looming over us, and that challenge is deepening inequality. A large number of people are excluded from the growth," Rehman said.
"And what is more disturbing is that one in seven human beings in the world today is a refugee, a homeless person without an identity. Perhaps that is thanks to a global leadership that is not making the right decisions," she added.
Rehman said that such issues are bound to come back to haunt us.
"The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. It's a global problem. Such inequality, such deprivation will incubate fear and conflict," she emphasised.
On the issue of terrorism, Rehman said that Pakistan has been fighting the biggest inland war against terrorism.
"Terrorism looms very large in public imagination. Most people don't realise that Pakistan has been fighting one of the largest inland wars against terrorism, and it is doing so alone," she said.
She said that for peace to prevail civil society should be strengthened and given a bigger voice.
