News
Monday, August 27, 2012
‘Indo-Pak parliamentarians want to facilitate people’
* Senator Jehangir Badr says joint recommendations prepared for higher-level meetings to discuss major issues
LAHORE: An 18-member Pakistani delegation comprising of parliamentarians returned home on Sunday via the Wagah border after a five-day visit to India saying that parliamentarians of both sides wanted to facilitate the people of the two nations.
Talking to media upon their return the members of the parliamentarians’ delegation stressed on resolving the public issues between the two sides on urgent basis.
Briefing the media about the fourth round of meeting among Indian and Pakistani parliamentarians in New Delhi, Senator Jehangir Badar said that public representatives of the two sides and other segments had discussed the options of providing facilities to the people.
He said that joint recommendations had been prepared for higher level meetings to resolve the issues of local bodies, health, education, economy, trade, visa, fishermen and prisoners of both sides and they could be discussed in the meetings of presidents, prime ministers, ministers and secretary level meetings.
Answering a question, he said all major issues, including Kashmir, democracy and others, would be discussed in the next meeting.
He said some suggestions had come from both sides for relaxing the conditions for visa regime to facilitate educationists, senior citizens, students, patients and traders.
He stressed on both countries to work together for peace in South Asia, elimination of poverty and economic development in both countries.
He told the media that the delegation also visited state of Bihar on the invitation of Bihar Chief Minister Nateesh Kumar and appreciated the peace-keeping services of the government.
ANP leader and Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Senator Haji Adeel said the delegation also met the Indian media and corrected the image of Pakistan.
PML-N leader Khurram Dastgeer said that people of both countries wanted peace so that both the nations could work for resolving the major issues like Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek and Wullar Barrage for peace in the region.
PML-N leader Anoosha Rehman said that joint recommendations for future strategy would be forwarded to parliament.
The delegation also included Senate Deputy Chairman Sabir Baloch, Nadeem Afzal, Zahid Hamid, Nafeesa Shah, SAARC Chamber of Commerce Vice President Iftekhar Ali Malik, PILDAT Secretary General Ahmad Bilal Mehboob, Irfan Khokhar and other MNAs. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk