Pakistan to further expand bilateral relations with UK
Liaquat Ali
Islamabad: Pakistan aims to further expand the bilateral relations with the United Kingdom (UK) to new levels for mutual benefit, Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said, adding that the country greatly values its current bilateral relations.
The chairman senate expressed these views in a meeting with Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle during his visit to the UK.
Gilani along with a delegation of Senators is in the UK to explore opportunities for further strengthening bilateral, multilateral and institutional cooperation in diverse sectors.
He highlighted the historical and cultural ties both sides have enjoyed for a long, saying that the bond between the two countries has paved the way for deepening political, diplomatic, and economic ties and people-to-people contacts.
Gilani further observed that these ties are further strengthened by the Pakistani diaspora which is acting as a bridge between both countries thus providing a solid foundation for a dynamic and prosperous partnership.
He said that historic legacy, shared values, and mutual goodwill are the ingredients for a strong partnership between two countries.
The chairman also acknowledged the significance of broad-based parliamentary cooperation and said that Pakistan attaches great importance to parliamentary diplomacy.
He said that sharing democratic experiences and learning democratic values is central to the Commonwealth as a family of nations.
Both Pakistan and UK enjoy excellent cooperation at the Commonwealth level and Pakistan is playing an active role on this important platform.
“As the representatives and voices of our people, I believe we have a singular responsibility in acting as bridges between our peoples and institutions of governance,” he added.
The meeting also discussed the enhanced strategic dialogue between Pakistan and the United Kingdom which was established in 2011.
The enhanced strategic dialogue serves as the institutional mechanism guiding Pakistan -UK bilateral relations.
It is pertinent to mention here that ESD was initiated in 2011 during the tenure of Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani as the prime minister of Pakistan. The meeting discussed that Enhance Strategic Dialogue may be converted into Enhanced strategic partnership now.
He also highlighted the issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Pakistan values British MP’s role in highlighting human rights abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the UK Parliament.
Regarding Gaza, the chairman said that Pakistan is making all possible efforts through the relevant forums to bring an end to atrocities in Gaza.
He also called upon the UK to raise its voice against human rights violations. He said that interaction and exchange of views between the parliamentary leadership and the parliamentarians is a significant step towards broadening, deepening, diversifying, and augmenting parliamentary relations.
He proposed to maintain the momentum of high level visits and exchange more frequently between the two governments, parliaments, and peoples.
The speaker of the House Commons appreciated the Chairman Senate’s remarks and called for a broad-based relationship between the two sides. He said that Pakistan is an important country for the UK and both sides have historically enjoyed cordial relations.
