Afghan parliamentarians due to discuss security issues

Pak-Afghan parliamentarians due to discuss security issues

After the tension of several months between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the first breakthrough is expected for improvement in the relations of troubled neighbours, as parliamentarians from both sides will begin a two-day dialogue Tuesday.

Both sides will discuss issues related to regional security and other bilateral issues.

A delegation of 24 Afghan MPs, belonging to Meshrano Jirga (Senate of Afghanistan) and Wolesi Jirga (National Assembly of Afghanistan), will arrive Tuesday, in Islamabad, and will engage in a dialogue with their Pakistani counterparts.

The parliamentarians will discuss the issues of regional security, trade, tourism, mutual interests and concerns that affect the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Senator Besmellah Afghanmal, Member of the Meshrano Jirga and Abdul Latif Pedram, Member of Afghan Wolesi Jirga, will be leading the Afghan delegation while Faisal Karim Kundi, Deputy Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan and Senator Salim Saifullah Khan,
Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, will officiate the dialogue from Pakistan’s side.

Some of the proposed items of the agenda include Progress on recommendations from previous two Pak-Afghan Dialogues, Afghan Transit Trade and Trade and Travel between the two, Investment opportunities by investors and current peace situation in Afghanistan
and prospects of Pak-Afghan relations in post-NATO/US forces withdrawal.

The dialogue process was initiated and being facilitated by Pakistan Institute of Legislation Development and Transparency (PILDAT) to develop a relationship based on greater interaction and dialogue with each other on bilateral and regional issues.

This will be the first chat between the MPs of two countries after quite some time. Relations between the two war victim countries are not exemplary over the period.

It is worth highlighting here that Afghan President Hamid Karzai time to time blames Pakistan for helping the militants to carry out attacks inside his country. He also claimed that plot to assassinate former Afghan President, Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani,
was prepared in Pakistan.

He held Pakistan responsible for attack on Muharram procession in which several afghan mourners were killed.  

On the other hand, Pakistan has also urged Afghanistan to stop the use of its soil to carry out attacks against Pakistan. Pakistan is also not happy with Afghanistan after NATO’s attack on its check-post last month.

Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Salim Saifullah hoped these dialogues would help in normalising the tension and misunderstanding between the two troubled countries. He said that the governments of both sides must focus on development
of their people instead of blame game.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=6629

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Dec 20 2011. Filed under Pakistan, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry