President Karzai Meets Pakistani Women MPs Delegation

April 15, 2012- President Hamid Karzai met Pakistani female MPs representing different political parties in Pakistan.

Both sides exchanged views on how to further enhance the bilateral relations, particularly the relations between parliaments of the two countries.

Conveying the best wishes of Pakistan Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament to President Karzai, Pakistani delegation voiced strong desire for peace and stability in Afghanistan and also briefed the President on the activities by Parliamentary Caucus of Pakistan National Assembly, their visit to Kabul and the meetings they had with Afghan officials including Head of the Secretariat for High Peace Council, Speaker of Lower House and members of Women Affairs Commission for the Lower House.

Welcoming the Pakistani delegation to Afghanistan; the President said, “Our peoples have suffered a lot” and face similar problems.  “This initiative is of immense importance to both countries and a great sign of a better future”, President Karzai added.

President Karzai described such visits as effective for further solidifying the relationship and trust-building between the two countries.

Describing the relationship between female MPs of the two countries as important, President Karzai recommended establishing Afghan-Pak-India Inter-parliamentary Group of women MPs in addition to Afghan-Pak Group of Women MPs.

An Afghan MP, Ms. Shinkai Karokhail said, the more contacts between the parliaments of the two countries, the more it creates trust between the two nations. She added exchange of experiences and common understanding of the parliamentarians of the two countries is both in the interest of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Pointing to the shared religious and cultural values that the two countries enjoy, Ms. Nahid Farid, another Afghan MP described the visit by Pakistan women parliamentarians as important in enhancing Afghan-Pak inter-parliamentary relationship.

An Afghan Parliamentarian, Ms. Gulalai Noor Safi said, women are victims of violence and war in both countries therefore Afghan-Pak Inter-parliamentary Group of women MPs could contribute to improving condition of women in the two countries.

Six months back, Afghan women parliamentarians visited Pakistan to build Afghan-Pak Inter-parliamentary friendship between the two countries followed by a recent visit by Pakistani women MPs to Kabul.