Sardar Ayaz Sadiq Speaker National Assembly Saturday said that Pakistan wanted to strengthen relations with Afghanistan and work together for peace and prosperity in the region. He expressed these views while talking to the President of the Wolesi Jirga (House of People) National Assembly of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi with his parliamentary delegation in the sideline meeting during Speakers' Conference in Islamabad.
Convener Pak-Afghan Friendship Group Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and Chairman Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar were also present. Referring to Pak-Afghan ties, he highlighted that Pak-Afghan relations is deep rooted in stronger people-to-people contact, cultural affinities and shared interests. He said that by active engagement of parliamentarians of the two countries, bilateral relations would further improve and strengthened.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said Pakistan was the largest stakeholder in a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan and added that the future of both countries is linked. The Speaker said both the countries needed joint strategy and closer cooperation to address the root causes of terrorism. He expressed the optimism that the visit of Afghan Speaker with his Parliamentary Delegation will prove a milestone in consolidating relations between the two countries.
The President of the Wolesi Jirga (House of People) National Assembly of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are having tremendous commonalities and underlined the need to enhance cooperation to strengthen their relations. While appreciating Speaker National Assembly initiative of organizing the conference of six neighbouring countries, he expressed the confidence that the Conference will prove hallmark in identifying vistas towards common prosperity through increase regional connectivity.
While talking to the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (GNAT), Ismail Kahraman with his delegation in the sideline meeting during Speakers' Conference, NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq Saturday said Pakistan also attaches great importance to its relations with Turkey and both the fraternal countries are tied in the bonds of religion, history and culture.
He thanked Ismail Kahraman for active participation of Turkey in the Speakers' Conference and termed his visit step forward in consolidating existing exceptional ties of Pakistan with Turkey. Underlining the importance of Inter Parliamentary exchange of delegations, he said that greater exchange of parliamentary delegations is necessary because such exchanges will provide opportunities to exchange views and learn from the experiences of each other.
GNAT Speaker Ismail Kahraman appreciated Speaker National Assembly initiative of organizing the conference of six neighbouring country on vital issue of regional connectivity and to tackle the menace of terrorism. Ismail Kahraman said that Turkey is determined foster robust ties with Pakistan through enhanced bilateral and multilateral cooperation. He remarked that Pakistan-Turkey bilateral cooperation will unleash a new wave of connectivity in the region. He further appreciated Pakistan's fight against terrorists and remarked that Pakistan and Turkey is pivotal to tackling regional security issues. He reaffirmed his commitment for expanding trade and cultural relations with Pakistan and urged the need for greater exchanges of Parliamentary delegations.