Indo-Pak parliamentary forum to be established
NEW DELHI: Indian Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Monday announced the formation of an India-Pakistan Joint Parliamentary Friendship Forum to promote people-to-people contact between the two countries.
Mr Chatterjee, who met a 19-member delegation from Pakistan’s National Assembly led by former speaker Gohar Ayub Khan, said bilateral relations would improve through sports, culture and exchange of parliamentarians, according to IANS news agency.
“The goodwill, cooperation and friendly relationship between India and Pakistan should help solve all problems and also liberate all the people below the poverty line,” he said.
Noting that the Indian government was sincerely following the peace process with Pakistan, Mr Chatterjee welcomed President Pervez Musharraf’s statement on not allowing territory under Islamabad’s control to be used for terrorist activities.
The Pakistani delegation urged Mr Chatterjee to publish his rulings from the chair which it said could be used as a reference tool by parliamentarians of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Gohar Ayub said there was vast potential in both countries and if utilised properly, they could emerge as strong nations in Asia. “We can be good friends by developing mutual trust, friendship and exchanges,” he said. The Pakistani delegation is on a study tour in India. online
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