Lanka thanks Pakistan for supporting terror fight

Sri Lanka is grateful to Pakistan for supporting its fight against terrorism, Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara told Deputy Speaker of Pakistan Eaisal Karim Kundi.

The Deputy Speaker called on Speaker Lokubandara recently on the sidelines of the 119th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU). He was accompanied by Nuzhat Sadiq, MNA, Yasmeen Rehman, MNA, Senator Muhammad Ghufran Khan and Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani, MNA.

Deputy Speaker Kundi recalled the excellent relations Pakistan and Sri Lanka enjoy.

He apprised Speaker Lokubandara that the Pakistan People’s Party had paid a huge price for the restoration of democracy in the country as it lost its leader Benazir Bhutto to terrorism.

He said that new democratic government was capable to meet the challenges.

Kundi said Sri Lanka is also facing the terrorism problem and it would be interesting to get the Parliamentary delegations view on how they had dealt with the issue.

Jilani said the Government was making all efforts to address terrorism and extremism. “What we are facing is an international factor.”

Speaker Lokubandara said the two Parliaments had excellent cordial relations. He recalled meeting Pakistan’s Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani with Sri Lanka Parliamentarians and the Speaker during his recent visit to Sri Lanka to attend the SAARC Summit 2008. The Speaker said Pakistan had important places of historical and religious significance from the Buddhist point of view, including Taxila.

Apprising the Pakistan delegation on the Government’s efforts to counter terrorism, he said Sri Lanka had suffered from terrorism for almost three decades.

“We had tried every method including talking to the LTTE.

An all parties conference was also held to build a consensus on finding a solution to the problem.”

Both sides during the meeting emphasised to further enhance bilateral relations. Senator Muhammad Ghufran Khan said there should be more economic collaboration between the two countries. Pakistan could offer heavy body trucks and buses to Sri Lanka, he said.

The Deputy Speaker also invited speaker Lokubandara on behalf of Dr. Fehmida Mirza, Speaker, National Assembly to visit Pakistan. Accepting the invitation, the Speaker said he would be happy to lead a delegation to Pakistan.