The Department of International Relations and Political Science at the University of Central Punjab organised a two-day international conference on the theme "Contemporary Challenges for Democracy," attracting renowned scholars from both Pakistan and abroad.

In the inaugural session, Dr Khalid Manzoor Butt, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, stated that democratic institutions worldwide were facing serious challenges.

He noted that social manipulation posed a significant threat to democracy, yet digital platforms were simultaneously empowering citizens with transparency and reform.

He shared that over 100 research abstracts were received for the conference, of which 40 were selected, including 15 international papers. Contributors included Balveer Singh from Singapore, Dr Maria from Poland, Dr Xie from China, and Mr Mishra from Germany. Several scholars also joined the sessions online.

Mushahid Hussain Sayed, the chief guest, emphasised that the world was undergoing a historic transformation, with Asia playing an increasingly important role.

He questioned the double standards of democracy in the context of Palestine and highlighted China’s rise as a global power.

Norwegian Ambassador Per Albert Ilsaas remarked that Norway’s democratic system was the result of a long evolutionary process, noting that democracy faced trends such as “backsliding,” growing online harassment, and inequality.

Renowned analyst Dr Hassan Askari Rizvi observed that even authoritarian or one-party states were adopting certain democratic principles, posing further challenges to democratic norms.

Over 30 scholars presented their research papers across various sessions of the conference. Dr Hammad Nevedd, Pro-Rector of the UCP, presented souvenirs to the speakers.

The concluding session was graced by the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, as the chief guest.