Pakistan Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani on Tuesday slammed the US, saying the turmoil in the Middle East was due to the "double standards" of the Western power.
"The criticism by the West that Asian integration is not possible due to cultural, religious and social diversity is not true as we believe that the strength of Asia is its diversity and with diversity comes the unity," Xinhua news agency quoted Rabbani as saying here.
"The future of Asia lies in the hands of Asian people," he said.
According to Rabbani, being a Pakistani, he witnessed the "Western double standards" when the US politically and economically supported the dictatorial regimes in Pakistan and "maintained silence over the unlawful prosecution of political workers".
"It is imperative for us to look at things in the right dimension," he said, urging the member countries to move forward for achieving the goal of Asian Parliament -- "Asian Integration".
Chairman of Pakistan's Senate Defence Committee Hussein Syed said the balance of power was shifting from the West to Asia and future lies with Asia.
He said the time has come when decision regarding Asia should be made within the region rather than in Europe and America.
--IANS
sm/py/rn/vt
