ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Wednesday said that elected representatives of both India and Pakistan had a responsibility to build strong and meaningful relations between two neighbouring countries.
He expressed these views while talking to Indian parliamentary delegation led by Shashi Tharoor, a Lok Sabha member, who called on him at the Parliament House.
Lok Sabha member Meenakshi Lekhi and Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta were also present on the occasion. Both sides met in an atmosphere of mutual cordiality, discussing a variety of issues affecting the relations between the parliaments of the two countries.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that that dialogues and interaction between both countries from all levels must be directed towards peace in the region. He called for regular interaction between parliamentarians of Pakistan and India for enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two parliaments. He stressed for exploring possibilities of joint collaboration between the National Assembly and Lok Sabha in legislative drafting, rules of business and other parliamentary practices.
While informing the delegation about the formation of Parliamentary Friendship Group in the National Assembly of Pakistan, the speaker said that the group could play an important role in parliamentary diplomacy and strengthening the relations between parliaments. He further informed that 90 friendship groups had been constituted in the National Assembly of Pakistan, which were playing a vibrant and active role in parliamentary diplomacy.
Shashi Tharoor said that parliamentary diplomacy was an excellent way of bringing the two nations closer. The Indian parliamentary delegation agreed for regular interaction between Pakistani and Indian parliamentarians. They also discussed the working of standing committees, especially the Public Accounts Committee, and decided to mutually share their experiences and practices.
