A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit -Baltistan with a six-member Sri Lankan Parliamentary Delegation led by Chamal Rajapaksa, Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament was held at Parliament House on Tuesday.
The meeting was presided over by Chairman of the Committee Senator Salim Saifullah Khan and was attended among others by Senators Abbas Khan Afridi, Professor Khurshid Ahmed, Syeda Sughra Imam, Abdul Gaffar Qureshi and Fauzia Fakhar-uz-Zaman Khan, Special Secretary Senate Iftikhar Ullah Babar was also present on the occasion.
Senator Salim Saifullah Khan said that Pakistan enjoys cordial and brotherly relationship with Sri Lanka and the visit will help further strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries, as there is vast scope for investment and enhancement of trade and commercial ties. He laid emphasis on boosting trade contacts between the two countries to explore new avenues of co-operation to take the friendship to new heights.
He also observed that both Pakistan and Sri Lanka should play a proactive role at Saarc and other regional and international forums. Other members of the Committee said that both the countries have a shared culture and bond of friendship, hoping that mutual co-operation between the two countries would be enhanced further through exchange of delegations at parliamentary and other levels.
They also appreciated Sri Lankan government's success in rooting out terrorism and hoped that Pakistan will also rid the society of the scourge soon. The Leader and members of the Sri Lankan delegation agreed with the views of the Committee and said that ties between the two countries would be enhanced further in different sectors with particular reference to trade and economic links.-PR