A joint 14-member delegation of young legislators from India and Pakistan is in the US for a fortnight-long "orientation programme" to get a first-hand look at foreign policy issues and political processes in the country.
Described as a historic visit, the joint team with seven members each from India and Pakistan arrived here on July 3 and has had a busy schedule of meetings with congressmen, senators and other elected officials from state legislatures.
According to the State Department officials, the visit is "an orientation programme" to get them acquainted with various issues concerning foreign policy and political processes in the US.
The delegation, which is here at the invitation of the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), a Washington-based bipartisan, non-profit educational exchange organisation, has also been participating in political conferences and election study programmes.
The legislators have met Secretary of State Colin Powell, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca, some senior Bush administration officials at the White House as well as congressmen and senators on Capitol Hill.
Rocca took the opportunity to explain the US policy towards South Asia and particularly its relations with India and Pakistan.
Officials said she also talked to them about other issues pertaining to the region and exchanged views on India-Pakistan bilateral ties.
Amongst the other people the delegation met was Neil Patel, assistant to Vice-President Dick Cheney for special projects as well as his staff secretary.
The members of the delegation spent some time with Patel acquainting themselves with the day-to-day working of the Bush administration.
Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, who is co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, mentioned the visit of the delegation in a speech in the House of Representatives Wednesday.
"As leaders of India and Pakistan continue their efforts to bring peace to South Asia, a historic visit to Capitol Hill took place this week by a delegation of parliamentarians from India and Pakistan for a joint political and cultural exchange," he said.The delegation, which leaves for home on July 17, is expected to visit Annapolis, the seat of the Maryland legislature and Los Angeles, California, to see for themselves how state legislatures work.
Drawn from a cross-section of the political spectrum, the Indian and Pakistani leaders also attended receptions held in their honour by the Indian and Pakistani embassies.
The Indian delegation includes Mohammed Jinnah of the student's wing of the DMK party in Chennai, Ahmed Munavvar of the Indian Union Muslim League in Kerala and Shobha Thomas Oza of the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh.
The Pakistani visitors include Saima Ali of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency, Humera Alwani, a member of provincial assembly of Sindh and Akhtar Hussain from the Balochistan National Party.