Islamabad; December 11; An 18 member Afghan Parliamentary Delegation, visiting Pakistan on the invitation of Pakistan-Afghanistan Parliamentary Friendship Group, National Assembly of Pakistan and PILDAT, called on Prime Minister of Pakistan Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, MNA, here today.

Parliamentarians from Pakistan and Afghanistan also began first day of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Parliamentarians Dialogue-VII and discussed State of Relations and Challenges and Opportunities for Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations after US/NATO Withdrawal from Afghanistan 2014.

The dialogue was formally launched by Honourable Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi, MNA, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and convenor of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Parliamentary Friendship Group, Honourable Senator Muhammad Jehangir Bader, Leader of the House, Senate of Pakistan, Honourable Senator Abdulwali Raji, Member of the Meshrano Jirga, and Honourable Mr. Mirwais Yasini, Member of the Wolesi Jirga.

In his welcome address, Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President PILDAT, said that Pakistan-Afghanistan relations are at an interesting juncture when we can open a bright new chapter in our centuries-old relations. He said that PILDAT�s facilitation of Pak-Afghan MPs Dialogue is a modest effort in this direction.

Senator Raja Zafar ul Haq, Chairman PML-N, chairman Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production, chaired the session titled State of Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, while Senator Haji Muhmmad Adeel, Senior Vice President of Awami National Party-ANP and Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired the session on 2014 US/NATO Withdrawal from Afghanistan: Challenges and Opportunities for Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations.

Pakistani MPs belonging to different parties participated in the dialogue including Senator Farhatullah Babar, (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PPPP), Senator Hasil Khan Bizenjo, (Balochistan, NP), Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash, (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ANP), Senator Najma Hameed, (Punjab, PML-N), Senator Saeeda Iqbal, (Islamabad Capital Territory, PPPP), Senator Muhammad Saleh Shah Qureshi, (FATA, Ind.), Senator Nuzhat Sadiq, (Punjab, PML-N), Ms. Qudsia Arshad, MNA (NA-275, Women, Punjab, PML-N), Ms. Tahira Aurangzeb, MNA (NA-276, Punjab, PML-N), Mr. Naseer Bhutta, MNA (NA-127, Lahore-X, Punjab, PML-N), Mr. Riaz Fatiana, MNA (NA-94, Tobatek Singh-III, Punjab, PML), Ms. Jamila Gillani, MNA(NA-323, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ANP), Mr. Abdul Rasheed Godil, MNA (NA-252, Karachi-XIV, Sindh, MQM), Mr. Muhammad Rehan Hashmi, MNA (NA-245, Karachi-VII, Sindh, MQM), Mr. Asif Husnain, MNA (NA-255, Karachi-XVII, Sindh, MQM), Ms. Seema Jameeli, MNA (NA-277, Punjab, PML-N), Mr. Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan, MNA (NA-256, Karachi-XVIII, Sindh, MQM), Ms. Shireen Arshad Khan, MNA (NA-283, Punjab, PML-N), Mr. Abdul Qadir Khanzada, MNA (NA-242, Karachi-IV, Sindh, MQM), Ms. Shagufta Sadiq, MNA (NA-319, Sindh, MQM), Ms. Imrana Saeed, MNA (NA-318, Sindh, MQM), Dr. Muhammad Ayub Shaikh, MNA (NA-254, Karachi-XVI, Sindh, MQM), Ms. Tasneem Siddique, MNA (NA-285, Punjab, PML-N), and Ms. Saira Afzal Tarar, MNA (NA-102, Hafizabad-I, Punjab, PML-N).

Afghan MPs who joined the dialogue included Senator Nisar Ahmad Haress, Senator Ahmad Mawen, Senator Mohammad Amin Safi, Senator Bahramkhan Samkani, Senator Baz Mohammad Zormati, Sayed Ishaq Gailani, Mr. Mahmood Khan Sulaiman Khail, Mr. Sakhi Mshwani, Mr. Abdul Latif Pedram, Mr. Abdul Ghaffar Qael, Mr. Amir Mohammad Yar and Mr. Qudratullah Zaki.

Following PILDAT publications have been prepared as a background for the Parliamentarians Dialogues:

1. Background Paper: State of Relation Between Pakistan and Afghanistan
[English PDF]  [Pashto PDF]  [Dari PDF]

2. Background Paper: Trust deficit and Pakistan-Afghanistan Rocky Relatio
[English PDF]  [Pashto PDF]  [Dari PDF]

3. Report: Pace and Progress on Pakistan-Afghanistan Officials Dialogue: January 2012 - November 2012
[English PDF]  [Pashto PDF]  [Dari PDF]