ISLAMABAD:On the first day of the Pakistan-India Parliamentarians’ Dialogue here in Islamabad, Members of Parliaments from both side were unanimous that the trust deficit should be removed particularly in the areas that divide the two countries, with a view to resume the dialogue and promote a people’s movement for peace and reconciliation. The dialogue is organized and facilitated by Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT).Senator S.M. Zafar from Pakistan and former Indian Minister for external Affairs Yashwat Sinha from India co-chaired the Parliamentarians’ Dialogue while Senator Jan. M. Jamali, Deputy Chairman Senate and Faisal Karim Kundi, Deputy Speaker National Assembly, formally opened the dialogue.The Indian Parliamentarians participating in the dialogue include Mani Shankar Aiyar, Member Rajya Sabha (Indian National Congress); Vijay Darda, Member Rajya Sabha (Indian National Congress); Ms. Naznin Faruque, Member Rajya Sabha (Indian National Congress); Shatrughan Sinha, Member Lok Sabha (Bharatiya Janata Party); Assaduddin Owaisi, Member Lok Sabha (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen), and Pradeep Majhi, Member Lok Sabha (Indian National Congress).
Pakistani Parliamentarians engaged in the dialogue include Senator Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Leader of the House in the Senate (PPPP), Senator Waseem Sajjad, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (PML), Senator Jahangir Badar (PPPP), Senator Salim Saifullah Khan, Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs Committee (PML), Senator Ilyas Bilour, Chairman Senate Committee on Commerce (ANP), Dr. Donya Aziz, (PML), Khurram Dastagir Khan, Chairman National Assembly Committee on Commerce (PML-N), Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Abdul Qadir Baloch (PML-N), Mr. Muhammad Balogh-ur-Rehman (PML-N), Shaikh Waqas Akram, Chairman National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum (PML), Senator Syeda Sugra Imam (PPPP), Ms. Fouzia Ejaz Khan (MQM), Senator Zahid Khan, (ANP); Mr. Lal Chand, MNA, (PPPP), and Senator Saeeda Iqbal (PPPP).Former Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and Sartaj Aziz, along with former Federal Minister Javed Jabbar participated as distinguished observers to the dialogue.The informal dialogue will continue on Friday to further discuss the ways to promote peace and prosperity in the region – APP
