CAPE TOWN, South Africa: Pakistan’s Parliament has received the inaugural Green Mace Award at the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in recognition of its status as the world’s first 100 per cent solar-powered Parliament.
🇵🇰Historic Achievement for Pakistan’s Parliament, the 1st Green Mace Award,
Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, receives the 1st Green Mace Award for the National Assembly of Pakistan at the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Cape Town, South… pic.twitter.com/pqVY1ATJu7
— National Assembly 🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) September 17, 2026
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq accepted the award on behalf of Pakistan’s Parliament and expressed gratitude for the international recognition.
The award highlights Pakistan’s efforts to promote renewable energy and integrate sustainability into the functioning of its democratic institutions.
Ayaz Sadiq calls for stronger democratic institutions
Addressing the general debate of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Sadiq urged Commonwealth parliaments to play an effective role in strengthening democracy and ensuring that democratic institutions remain accountable.
He said maintaining public trust was essential for the credibility of parliamentary systems, describing the Commonwealth as a unique family of nations connected by shared values rather than geography.
The speaker said the Commonwealth Charter provided common guidance on the rule of law, peace and human rights, while stressing the importance of upholding the United Nations Charter and respecting the sovereignty of states.
اسپیکر قومی اسمبلی سردار ایاز صادق کا 69ویں دولت مشترکہ پارلیمانی کانفرنس کی جنرل ڈیبیٹ سے خطاب
جمہوریت کے استحکام کے لیے دولت مشترکہ کی پارلیمانوں کو مؤثر اور فعال کردار ادا کرنا ہوگا، اسپیکر سردار ایاز صادق
جمہوری اداروں کو شفاف اور جوابدہ بنانا اور عوامی اعتماد برقرار رکھنا… pic.twitter.com/F5LIMGAbxG
— National Assembly 🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) September 17, 2026
Dialogue essential for lasting peace
Sadiq said firm adherence to international principles was necessary for the peaceful settlement of disputes.
He emphasised that lasting peace could only be achieved through dialogue and diplomacy, adding that conflicts should be resolved through peaceful means.
The National Assembly speaker also said no country could address armed conflicts, the climate crisis, food insecurity and cyber threats on its own.
He called for stronger international cooperation to tackle these shared challenges.
پاکستان کے پارلیمان کیلئے تاریخی دن، پاکستان کی پارلیمان نے پہلا گرین میس ایوارڈ اپنے نام کر لیا۔ 🇵🇰
دولت مشترکہ پارلیمانی کانفرنس کے 69ویں اجلاس کے مرکزی پروگرام میں پاکستان کی پارلیمان کو گرین میس ایوارڈ سے نواز گیا۔
اسپیکر قومی اسمبلی سردار ایاز صادق نے دولت مشترکہ… pic.twitter.com/9dJXAk5f6n
— National Assembly 🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) September 17, 2026
Brief history of Pakistan parliament’s solarisation
Pakistan’s Parliament House in Islamabad became the world’s first completely solar-powered parliament in 2016 after the completion of a 1-megawatt solar project initiated under National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
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The project was jointly launched by then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping during Xi’s 2015 visit to Pakistan, with financial assistance from China, and was formally inaugurated on February 23, 2016. It enabled Parliament to meet its electricity needs through solar power while supplying surplus electricity to the national grid.
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Parliament also became Pakistan’s first institution to receive a NEPRA net-metering licence, allowing excess solar energy to be fed into the grid. The initiative followed an energy audit aimed at reducing conventional energy consumption and carbon emissions.
