A 13-member Pakistan delegation of Members of Parliament is currently in the country as part of the confidence building measures and held talks on promoting peace and trade between the two nations.
The delegation led by Deputy Leader of Senate Sabir Ali Baloch on Thursday met Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. It also held talks with an Indian MPs delegation led by senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha and senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on easing the visa regime and the role of media in promoting bilateral peace.
Besides Mr. Sinha and Mr. Aiyar, many other MPs including Satyavrat Chaturvedi, Naresh Gujral, Kanimozhi, Kirti Azad, Supriya Sule and B.J. Panda joined the dialogue.
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The MPs from both sides discussed the prospects of deepening ties. They reviewed and analysed the progress in the official dialogue.
This visit is part of the fourth round of discussions between the Parliamentarians of the two countries. The Pakistan delegation also comprises prominent businessmen of that country.
The SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Vikramjit Singh Sahaney, who is hosting the delegation on August 24, said the Pakistani delegates would hold talks with their Indian counterparts on improvement in bilateral relations and promotion of bilateral trade.
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Visit significant
“The visit is highly significant in the backdrop of India’s decision to allow Pakistanis to invest in India,” he added. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, Executive Director, Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency, is also part of the delegation.
To meet Nitish Kumar
The delegation will visit Patna on August 25 for a meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The Pakistan MPs are keen on working out a strategy to reduce the trust deficit between the two neighbours.