Twelfth round of dialogue with Afghan parliamentarians begins

Date : 31-12-2014

The 12th round of Pakistan-Afghanistan Parliamentarians Dialogue, facilitated by PILDAT and co-hosted by the Senate Defence Committee and Parliamentary Friendship Groups on Afghanistan, officially began here on Tuesday.

The dialogue was chaired by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Defence Committee, Senate of Pakistan, and Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Chairman Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights from the Pakistan side and Senator Baz Mohammad Zormati, Member International Affairs Commission, Meshrano Jirga and Abdul Qader Zazai, Chairman International Affairs Commission, Wolesi Jirga, from Afghanistan. Earlier, the Afghan delegation called on Prime Minister's Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, wherein the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorism and to help build mutual trust.

The Afghanistan delegation that is visiting Islamabad, under the respective Chairs include: Senators Mohammad Hassan Hotak, Fowzea Saadat Zamkanai, Mir Bahador Wasifi, Ghulam Mohaiudin Monsef, Rana Tareen and Lutfullah Baba from the Meshrano Jirga and Ali Akbar Qasemi, Qudratullah Zaki, Gul Badshah Majidi, Sayed Nader Shah Bahr, Mohammad Nazir Ahmadzai, Zakaria Zakaria, Baz Mohammad Jawzjani and Sherwali Wardak from the Wolesi Jirga. The Secretariat staff accompanying the delegation from both Houses includes Abdul Wasi Fatah, Legislative Affairs Director, Meshrano Jirga, Mohammed Zaher Mushtaq, Director International Relations, Meshrano Jirga and Nezamudin Adel, Director General of International Relations Department, Wolesi Jirga.

Pakistani MPs who joined the dialogue included Senator Haji Adeel, Chairman Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Abbas Khan Afridi, Federal Minister for Textile & Industry, Senator Surriya Amiruddin Member Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, Senator Dr Muhammad Jehangir Badar, Member Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Amar Jeet, Member Senate Committee on Defence Production, Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash, Member Senate Parliamentary Friendship Group on Afghanistan, Senator Najma Hameed, Member Senate Committee on Interior & Narcotics, Senator Hamza, Member Senate Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources, Senator Saeeda Iqbal, Chairperson Senate Committee on Defence Production, Senator Nasreen Jalil, Chairperson Senate Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Privatisation Committee, Senator Rubina Khalid, Member Senate Committee on Defence Production, Senator Zahid Khan Chairman Senate Water and Power Committee and Senator Abdul Rauf Member Senate Defence Committee from the Senate of Pakistan and Sajid Nawaz, MNA, Ali Muhammad Khan, PTI MNA, Shehryar Afridi, MNA Sarzameen, MNA, Sahibzzada Tariqullah, MNA, Malik Ihtebar Khan, MNA, Rana Mohammad Afzal, MNA, Abid Raza, MNA, Mussarat Ahmad Zeb, MNA and Aisha Sayed MNA from National Assembly of Pakistan respectively.

PILDAT has been facilitating dialogues since 2008. PILDAT conceptualised and initiated the project of building and deepening Parliamentary ties and relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2008. To-date eleven (11) dialogues of Pakistan and Afghan Parliamentarians have been facilitated by PILDAT since 2008.-PR