Indian Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has praised the fact that India and Pakistan are neighbors, calling it a “great fortune” that favors each other.
She was speaking to a Pakistani delegation visiting India from August 23 to 24 as part of the fourth round of India-Pakistan Parliamentarians Dialogue.
“Our relationship goes back in history through civilizational bonds and beyond,” she said. While welcoming the delegation to India, the speaker said that 42 political parties were represented in the Indian parliament, which shows the national consensus in India that the people of India want a stronger and peaceful relationship with the people of Pakistan. She appreciated the PILDAT initiative to bring MPs of both countries to the dialogue table, and said that parliamentary-level engagement would lead the two countries to peaceful resolution of all bilateral issues.
The MPs from both sides discussed the opportunities of deepening ties between the two countries, specifically focusing on the issues of visa regime, the role of media, education and local government. The MPs also discussed the developments in the official Indo-Pak dialogue.
On the second day of the dialogue on August 24, the MPs will discuss opportunities for collaboration in the area of health, while also developing recommendations on the future scope of the MPs’ dialogue.
