Islamabad; March 29, Parliamentarians from Pakistan and Afghanistan engaged in a constructive, candid and comprehensive dialogue here today recognizing the importance of their role in addressing concerns that impact the relationship of the two brotherly Islamic countries.

A delegation of 20 Afghan MPs, belonging to Meshrano Jirga (Senate of Afghanistan) and Wolesi Jirga (National Assembly of Afghanistan), led by Honourable Sayed Ishaq Gailani, Member of Afghan Wolesi Jirga, arrived in Pakistan yesterday on PILDAT invitation. MPs from two sides agreed to continue the dialogue to play their role in confidence building among both countries. It was agreed that the next round of dialogue would be held in Kabul towards the end of May 2011.

While both sides agreed the only way forward for Pakistan and Afghanistan is to jointly address the challenges of security in the region to rid the region of foreign interference, key themes that echoed through the dialogue included trust deficit between the two neighbours, need to increase and improve bilateral trade, remove complications in Afghan transit trade, promote each other�s media in both countries, and stop the spread of narcotics and smuggling, etc. Parliamentarians must continuously engage with each other to find solutions to the problems as being public representatives they both understand public concerns and are charged with the responsibility to oversee executive policies in both countries.

The dialogue proceedings were opened by Senator Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali, Deputy Chairman Senate of Pakistan and Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi, MNA, Deputy Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan while Sayed Ishaq Gailani, Member of Afghan Wolesi Jirga and Senator Salim Saifullah Khan, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan, co-chaired the dialogue.

The Presiding Officers of the two Parliaments should have a hotline between them and foreign affairs committee should continuously engage, said Senator Salim Saifullah. Parliamentarians of both countries should have visa-free access to both countries while Pak-Afghan Parliamentary Friendship Group should be formed in both upper houses of the two Parliaments.

Dialogue reflects the interest of the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan who wish to benefit from enormous opportunities that are linked with peace and prosperity in the region. Parliamentarians guided by the principles of cooperative and good neighbourly relations should be able to address all issues of mutual concern and interest meaningfully including terrorism, water issues, media, narcotics control, etc.

Afghan Parliamentary delegation from Meshrano Jirga includes Senator Mawlawi Abdul Wali Raji, Senator Bahram Samkani, Senator Dar Khail Mangul, Senator Hedayetullah Rehaie, Senator Muhammad Arsalan Rahmani, Senator Molla Mohammad Faizi, Senator Rafiullah Haidari, Senator Sali Mohammad Pahlawan, Senator Shah Naz Ghowsi and Senator Sher Mohammad Akhunzada while delegates from the Afghan Wolesi Jirga include Engineer Abdul Ghafar, Haji Abdul Khaliq Bala Karzai, Mr. Abdul Satar Khawasi, Mr. Ahmad Farhad Majeedi, Ms. Farkhunda Naderi, Mr. Gul Badshah Majeedi, Ms. Helay Ershad, Ms. Rangina Kargar and Sayed Jamal Fakory Beheshti.

Pakistani Parliamentarians who engaged in the dialogue included Senator Abdul Rashid Khan, FATA, Senator Abdul Malik, National Party, Balochistan, Mr. Asif Husnain, MNA, MQM, Ms. Fozia Ejaz Khan, MNA, MQM, Mr. Humayun Saifullah Khan, MNA, PML, Senator Humayun Khan Mandokhel, Balochistan, Senator Hasil Khan Bizenjo, National Party, Balochistan, Senator Muhammad Jahangir Bader, Secretary General PPP, Punjab, Mr. Parvaiz Khan, MNA, ANP, Mr. Riaz Fatiana, MNA, PML, Senator Saleh Shah, FATA, Senator Syeda Sughra Imam, PPPP, Punjab, and Mrs. Tahira Aurangzeb, MNA, PML-N.