LONDON: Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that Pakistan highly values its bilateral relations with the United Kingdom (UK) and wishes to further expand the bilateral relations to a new level for mutual benefit.
The Senate President expressed these views in a meeting with the Speaker of the House of Commons, H. E. Lindsay Hoyle, during his visit to the United Kingdom. The President of the Senate, together with a delegation of senators, will visit the United Kingdom to explore the possibilities of further strengthening bilateral, multilateral and institutional cooperation in various sectors.
The Senate Chairman was accompanied by Senators Agha Shahzeb Durrani, Faisal Salim Rehman, Ashraf Ali Jatoi and National Assembly members Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani and Syed Qasim Ali Gilani.
During the meeting, the Chairman of the Senate highlighted the historical and cultural ties that the two sides have maintained for a long time and stated that the historical bond between them opened the way for deepening political, diplomatic, economic ties and people-to-people contacts.
He further noted that these ties were further strengthened by the Pakistani diaspora, which acted as a bridge between Pakistan and the UK, providing a solid foundation for a dynamic and prosperous partnership.
He said that our historical heritage, shared values and mutual goodwill are the ingredients for a strong partnership between Pakistan and the UK.
The Senate President also acknowledged the importance of broad parliamentary cooperation and said that Pakistan attaches great importance to parliamentary diplomacy.
He said that sharing democratic experiences and learning democratic values is essential for the Commonwealth as a family of nations. Both Pakistan and the UK enjoy excellent cooperation at the Commonwealth level and Pakistan has played an active role on this important platform.
“As the representatives and voices of our people, I believe we have a unique responsibility to act as bridges between our people and the institutions of government,” the Senate President noted.
The meeting also discussed the Pakistan-UK Enhanced Strategic Dialogue, which was established in 2011.
The Enhanced Strategic Dialogue serves as the institutional mechanism governing the bilateral relationship between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. It is pertinent to mention that the ECJ was launched in 2011 during the tenure of Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
The meeting discussed that Enhance Strategic Dialogue can be transformed into Enhanced Strategic Partnership.
The Senate President also highlighted the issue of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Pakistan appreciated the role of British MPs in highlighting human rights violations in India’s illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the UK Parliament.
