May 7; Thirteen (13) Pakistani MPs engaged with 21 of their US counterparts on issues of mutual interest and concern during a five day Dialogue Forum that was facilitated in Washington D.C., USA from April 13-17, 2015.

The Dialogue Forum saw a candid exchange of views and interactions on subjects including the perception gap between the two countries, especially at the Legislature level and opportunities to work together towards shared interests. Both sides underscored the need for a continuous, structured and issue-based Legislators-to-Legislators dialogue as a means to achieve greater understanding of each other's views and interests and enhancing the will and capabilities of working together.

The senior delegation from Pakistan's Parliament very ably articulated Pakistan's perspective, concerns and issues.The delegation highlighted that Pakistan's changing dynamics as a vibrant, most democratic and freest Muslim democracy in the world with its independent media, assertive judiciary, and vital civil society /citizens groups must be kept in view by the US Congress while defining policies with Pakistan. With the increasing stability of democratic process in Pakistan, it was underscored that Pakistan represented unique opportunities of investments in various sectors. The Pakistan delegation thanked the United States Government and the Congress for their continued support and cooperation with Pakistan in areas including energy and education, among others, and stressed upon the importance of developing greater legislative liaison to guide future support and collaboration between the two countries.

The US legislators keenly discussed changing scenario in Pakistan in view of evolution of democracy, changing dynamics of civil military relations and rights of the religious minorities and women, among others. A structured engagement and exchange of views also took place on ways and means to tackle extremism, perceived divergent perceptions on certain policies, impact of regional relations and the requirement of the promotion of deeper and durable ties between Pakistan and US.

This Dialogue Forum was organized to provide an opportunity for a structured dialogue between the Pakistan Legislators and their counterparts in the United States Congress. Convergence Centre of Policy Resolution, the Consensus Building Institute in the US and PILDAT in Pakistan facilitated the Dialogue Forum supported by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

The programme was organized such that, in addition to the mainstream dialogue, women representatives from Pakistan Delegation met with many prominent women representatives from the US Congress. Some key ideas that were discussed during the meeting were the initiation of a Tri Lateral Dialogue between Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States; the challenges women MPs face in Legislatures and ways and means to promote trade and commerce between United States and Pakistan.

The 13-member Pakistan Delegation interacted with 05 Senators and 16 Members of the House of Representatives during the 5-days Dialogue. The US legislators included Senator James Risch (R-ID), Chairman Senate Sub Committee on Near East, South and Central Asia and Counterterrorism; Senator Angus King (I-ME), Member Senate Armed Services Committee; Senator Tim Kiane (D-VA), Member Senate Sub Committee on Near East, South and Central Asia and Counterterrorism; Senator Jeaane Shaheen (D-NH), Member Senate Subcommittee on Near East, South and Central Asia and Counterterrorism; Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ranking Member Senate Sub Committee on Near East, South and Central Asia and Counterterrorism; Representative Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Chairman House Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity (EO); Member House Armed Services Committee; Representative Joe Pitts (R-PA), Co-Chairman Pakistan Caucus; Chairman Human Rights Commission; Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN), Co-Chairman Human Rights Commission, first Muslim Congressman; Former Congresswoman Barbara Kennelly (D-CT), President Former Members of Congress; Former Congressman Vib Weber (R-MN), Partner Mercury; Former Congressman Victor Herbert Fazio, Jr. (D-CA), Senior Advisor Akin Gump; Former Congressman Howard Berman, co-author, Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill; Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ranking Members House Budget Committee; Representative John Sarbanes (D-MD), Member House Sub Committee on Health; Member Sub Committee on Energy and Power; Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Ranking Member House Subcommittee on the CIA; Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ranking Member House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Ranking Member Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security; Representative John K. Delaney (D-MD), House Committee on Financial Services; Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY), Ranking Member House Appropriations Committee; Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Member House Foreign Affairs Committee; Representative Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman House Foreign Affairs Committee; Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ranking Member House Foreign Affairs Committee; Representative Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Member House Armed Services Committee and Representative David Price (D-NC), Ranking Member House Sub Committee Home Land Security. In addition, the delegation interacted with senior staffers of influential Committees on the Hill.

In addition to the legislators' dialogue, the Pakistan delegation also engaged with representatives from the US State Department, USAID and various think tanks at various events. Prominent organizations with whom Pakistani delegation interacted with included Woodrow Wilson Centre, Middle East Institute, International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ), Heritage Foundation, Atlantic Council, Centre for Government Development, U.S. Business Council, US Trade Representatives, US Chamber of Commerce, PepsiCo, Procter and Gamble, GE Transportation, Shell Oil Company, Coca-Cola Company, Harris Corporation and Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). These interactionsaided the progress of the dialogue and allowed to carve more productive channels for mutual cooperation between the two countries.

Another significant feature of the visit was the interaction with Pak-PAC, whose members carry considerable influence with US congressmen. The highlights of the meeting were the channels through which the overseas Pakistanis and Pakistani-Americans could assist in lobbying for Pakistan in the United States.

Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Mr. Jalil Abbas Jilani, also hosted the Pakistan delegation for an interaction and dinner at the start of the visit.

The 13-member Pakistan delegation was put together so that it was both diverse and articulate. The delegation was a combination of experienced and young, male and female, treasury and opposition, representing both Houses of the Pakistan Parliament, belonging to seven political parties/groups, hailing from all the four provinces and FATA and having a significant representation of the minority Christian and Hindu communities through two Honourable Members. This diversity and the fact that the delegation was co-led by Honourable Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, Leader of the Opposition representing the second largest party in the Parliament and Honourable Mr. Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, MNA, Chairman National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, representing the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, added to the strength of the Delegation. The delegation included (listed in alphabetical order by first name) Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, President, National Party (NP), Balochistan; Ms. Aasiya Nasir, MNA, NA-342 (Non-Muslims-X), Balochistan, JUI-F; Syaid Ghazi Gulab Jamal, MNA, NA-39 (Tribal Area-IV), FATA, Independent; Mr. Muhammad Afzal Khan, MNA, NA-82 (Faisalabad-VII), Punjab, PML-N, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, and Statistics & Privatization; Convener, Pakistan-China Parliamentary Friendship Group; Ms. Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak, MNA, NA-322 (Women, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PTI; Syed Naveed Qamar, MNA, NA-222 (Hyderabad-V), Sindh, PPPP, Chairman, National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways; Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, MNA, NA-19 (Haripur), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PML-N, Chairman National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Privatization; Mr. Sanjay Perwani, MNA, NA-341 (Non-Muslims-IX), Sindh, MQM; Mr. Shafqat Mahmood, MNA, NA-126 (Lahore-IX), Punjab, PTI; Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, MNA, NA-302 (Women, Punjab), Punjab, PML-N; and Ms. Shazia Marri, MNA, NA-235 (Old Sanghar-II), Sindh, PPPP.

The Dialogue concluded on April 17, 2015 with a panel discussion on Role of Pakistan's National Assembly in Countering Pakistan's Violent Extremists at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). Mr. Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, MNA, Mr. Shafqat Mahmood, MNA, Ms. Asiya Nasir, MNA and Mr. Brian Joseph, Senior Director for Asia and Global Programmes, National Endowment for Democracy (NED) joined the discussion as panelists while Mr. Andrew Wilder, Vice President, United States Institute of Peace, moderated the discussion. An account of the Panel Discussion is also available at the USIP website: Countering Pakistan's Extremists: Can the National Assembly Take the Lead? (http://www.usip.org/events/countering-pakistan-s-extremists-can-the-national-assembly-take-the-lead)