PAKISTAN GREATLY VALUES ITS RELATIONS WITH SRI LANKA

PAKISTAN GREATLY VALUES ITS RELATIONS WITH SRI LANKA.

OUR RELATIONS ARE BASED ON MUTUAL TRUST AND SHARED INTERESTS IN MAINTAINING REGIONAL PEACE, SECURITY AND STABILITY: NAEK

Pakistan greatly values its relations with Sri Lanka. Our relations are based on mutual trust and shared interests in maintaining regional peace, security and stability. This was stated by Chairman Senate, Mr. Farooq H. Naek while talking to a visiting Speaker of Sri Lankan Parliament, H.E. Chamal Rajapaksa and members of his delegation who called on him at the Parliament House here this evening.

The Chairman said Pakistan fully supports the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka. Our two countries enjoy commonality of views on regional and international issues and coordinate their positions at the United Nations and SAARC, he added.

            He said Pakistan is against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We are victims of terrorism; we lost our great leader Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto at the hands of terrorists. We have lost thousands of innocent civilians and valiant personnel of the armed forces. Terrorism has badly affected our economy and day to day lives, he further added.                                                     

Chairman expressed happiness that Sri Lankan Government has been able to defeat terrorism. He said, rehabilitation of the victims of violence and unrest is an issue, but I am confident that would be managed successfully.

            He underscored the need for enhanced exchange of Parliamentary delegations between the two countries to promote people-to-people contacts. Such visits will help promote greater cooperation between the two Parliaments, he said. He also appreciated the establishment of the Sri Lanka-Pakistan Parliamentarians Friendship Association.

While apprising the delegation on the damage and devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan, the Chairman Senate said it is the biggest human tragedy in the history of Pakistan, floods have left the entire agriculture sector in shambles, livestock have been equally devastated, standing crops worth billion of dollar have been destroyed. He said that the victims of this immense tragedy need solidarity, concrete help and assistance from the world community.

On the occasion, the chairman conveyed the appreciation of the Government and people of Pakistan for the flood relief assistance provided by the Government of Sri Lanka.

The Chairman expressed satisfaction over the volume of trade between two countries which has been doubled from US$ 140 million to around US$ 300 million in the last four years. He hoped the figure of US$ 1 billion will be achieved by 2012. He also assured that Pakistan will continue to work towards economic progress of Sri-Lanka.

While talking on the cultural cooperation between the two countries, the Chairman said that the Government of Pakistan attaches great importance to the preservation of the Gandhara heritage, Buddhist relics and sites, as a standing tribute to the shared past of our two nations. He invited a delegation of Buddhist monks and scholars to visit Gandhara sites in Pakistan.

Leader and members of the Sri Lankan delegation thanked the Chairman Senate, Deputy Chairman Senate and Honourable Senators for warm welcome and hospitality extended to them and assured all possible help and assistance in consolidating the Pakistan-Sri Lanka relations.

The meeting was attended by Leader of the House in the Senate, Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Wasim Sajjad, and Senators Professor Khurshid Ahmed, Raja Muhammad Zafar-ul-Haq, Mrs. Saeeda Iqbal, Mrs. Semeen Yusuf Siddiqui, Mr. Salim Saifullah Khan, Mr. Abbas Khan Afridi, Saleh Shah and Senator-in-Waiting Sardar Ali Khan.

The Sri-Lankan delegation included Mr. A. H. M. Fowzie, Minister of Disaster Management; Al Haj A. H. M. Azwer, MP; Mrs. Kamala Ranatunga, MP; Mrs. Anoma Gamage; Mr. Seeniththamby, MP and Mrs. Vijayakala Maheswaran, MP.

Earlier, Sri Lankan Parliamentary delegation who is visiting Pakistan on the invitation of Honourable Chairman Senate, Mr. Farooq H. Naek was received by Deputy Chairman Senate, Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali, Deputy Speaker National Assembly, Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi on its arrival at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Islamabad.

Later, the Honourable Chairman Senate hosted a dinner in honour of the Speaker Sri Lankan Parliament and Members of his delegation which was attended by Deputy Speaker National Assembly, Honourable Senators, senior government officials and other distinguished guests.