National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has said that political forces in Pakistan were united to root-out terrorism from the country.
Talking to Foreign Minister of Norway Borge Brende who called on him at the Parliament House Monday, Sadiq said that terrorism has become a global menace which needs concerted and coordinated efforts by all for completely wiping it out.
The speaker said that the scourge of terrorism has disrupted the civic life and economic activity in the country. He said that the cowardly attack on schools, worship places and innocent civilians has constrained the government to take action stern action against the perpetrators. He was confident that the military initiative and stern law would deter reoccurrence of such instances in future.
The speaker said that Pakistan attaches immense importance to its relations with Norway and desires to further strengthen them through reinvigorating parliamentary linkages between both the countries. He said that parliamentarians from either side would have an apt opportunity to share experiences and best practices.
He appreciated the Norwegian support extended to Pakistan on various international forums. He said that the present government since its institution has focused on strengthening of economy, job creation and addressing energy shortages. He invited Norwegian investors to take advantage of investment friendly policies in Pakistan.
The foreign minister also condemned the incident of Army Public School Peshawar and expressed his heartfelt grief and sorrow over the loss of innocent lives in result of this incident.
Borge Brende said that Norway is appreciative of Pakistan’s sacrifices in fight against terrorism and would support Pakistan in its fight against this scourge. He said that Norway greatly values its relations with Pakistan and wanted to further intensify them through diversification. He appreciated contributions of Pakistani expatriates in Norway who have been well integrated in Norwegian society. He assured the speaker that Norwegian investors would certainly take advantage of pro-investment policies in Pakistan.
Later, Ambassador of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Luu called on National Assembly speaker in Parliament House. Issues of mutual interest and ways and means to enhance parliamentary and bilateral relations between Pakistan and Vietnam came under discussion.
The speaker said that Pakistan attaches importance to its relations with Vietnam and wanted to further diversify them through enhancing economic and parliamentary contacts. He also stressed for enhancing trade between two countries. He asked the ambassador to influence Vietnamese investors to take advantage of pro-investment conditions in Pakistan.