News
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Parliamentary delegation leaves for India to strengthen ties
Staff Report
LAHORE: A 20-member delegation of Pakistani parliamentarians and politicians left for India on Wednesday to strengthen a new beginning of diplomatic relationships and to reduce defence expenditures by encouraging trade and commerce activities between the two countries.
Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) parliamentarian and former federal minister for information, Qamar Zaman Kaira, while giving a briefing regarding the visit to India, said that PPP’s first priority was to safeguard national interests and they could not put them on stake just for the sake of better relations with the US.
Kaira said that Pakistan wanted good relations with India and both the nieghbouring countries also wanted to reduce their defence expenses and solve all mutual problems. The delegation comprised of Senate Deputy Chairman Jan Muhammad Jamali, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Fazal Karim Kundi, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nadeem Afzal Gondal, Nawabzada Malik Ahmad Khan, Aayatullah Durrani, Afrasiab Khattak, Senator SM Zafar, Muhammad Hamayun Khan, Saeeda Iqbal, Anusha Rehman Khan, Hamayun Saifullah, Khurram Dastagir, Lal Chand, Nafeesa Shah, Sardar Awais Khan Lughari, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi of MQM as well as the ruling party’s central Secretary General Jahangir Badar.
Talking to media persons at the Allama Iqbal International Airport before leaving for India, Kaira said that the PPP government’s priority was to strengthen the national interests and not just the relations with US, adding that they did not want turbulence in relations with any nation of the world.
Commenting on the current political scenario in the country, he said that the PPP wanted stability in the country and it was the government’s responsibility to resolve issues of the citizens by taking on board all the political parties. Kaira also urged the PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to resolve problems within his party and to prepare himself for the next general elections in 2013.
He said that Nawaz Sharif should focus on the next general elections instead of the long march, adding that everyone had a right to protest, however, Nawaz Sharif should first explain to the masses the reasons for this protest. Answering another question, he said that the PML-Q was a coalition partner of the PPP and the leadership of both the parties would decide how to participate in the next general elections. He further said that Pakistan’s credit rating had improved during the current PPP regime.
Meanwhile, Fazal Karim Kundi, while talking to media, urged India to continue dialogues, especially on the issue of Kashmir, as Pakistan wanted to resolve all issues with India through dialogue. He said that relations with India were very sensitive and the delegation was going there with a positive message of peace.
Answering a question regarding the demand of establishment of new provinces in the country, Kundi said that they wished to include Dera Ismail Khan in southern Punjab and hopefully, Awami National Party, the ruling party in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would “show some mercy in this regard”.
MQM member Haider Abbas Rizvi said that there was a need for positive steps from both India and Pakistan to improve their relations and the exchange of parliamentary delegations was one such positive step.
On the occasion, PPP General Secretary Jahangir Badar said that exchange of parliamentary delegations was taking place between India and Pakistan for the first time, which was a pleasant sign for the future of both the countries. He said that table talk between both the countries was the only way to resolve all the matters, especially the issue of Kashmir.
Criticising Nawaz Sharif’s statement regarding a long march, Badar said that he should keep the country’s situation in mind before taking any step since none of the parties would be able to normalise the situation once it got out of control. He added that Nawaz Sharif should also be aware of the fact that the long march could be used as a platform by terrorists to spread further terror amongst the masses.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk