The Pakistan – Nepal+Bhutan Parliamentary Friendship Group (PFG) of the National Assembly of Pakistan, led by its Convener, Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, MNA, held a meeting with H.E. Ms. Rita Dhital, Ambassador of Nepal to Pakistan, at Parliament House, Islamabad, to discuss bilateral relations and avenues for enhancing parliamentary and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. The meeting was attended by members of the PFG including Mr. Shahzada Muhammad Gushtasap Khan, Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, Ms. Shaista Khan, Mr. Isphanyar M. Bhandara, Mr. Danyal Chaudhary and Dr. Darshan.

 

Welcoming the Ambassador, the Convener said that Pakistan and Nepal enjoy deep-rooted cultural, historical and civilizational ties and that the two countries have maintained cordial and friendly relations. He emphasized the importance of regular parliamentary interaction in bringing the two legislatures and peoples closer and in identifying new areas of cooperation. Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani highlighted the considerable potential for enhanced cooperation in trade and investment, education, tourism, culture, youth exchanges, IT and digital services and people-to-people contacts.

 

The Ambassador of Nepal appreciated the warm welcome extended to her and highlighted the friendly relations between Pakistan and Nepal. She noted the importance of strengthening parliamentary exchanges and referred to the ongoing cooperation between the two countries in areas including education, climate change, tourism, trade and cultural exchanges. She also emphasized the need to further facilitate connectivity and business-to-business interaction.

 

Both sides discussed the importance of increasing parliamentary exchanges, including through Parliamentary Friendship Groups, reciprocal visits and virtual interactions. The meeting also focused on the considerable scope for expanding bilateral trade and business linkages. Connectivity remained a key area of discussion. The participants emphasized the need to explore ways to restore direct air connectivity between Pakistan and Nepal, which was viewed as an important step towards facilitating religious and adventure tourism, trade and closer people-to-people contacts. 

 

The shared Himalayan geography and mountaineering traditions, together with the strong religious significance of several Buddhist sites in Pakistan and Nepal, were highlighted as areas offering significant potential for cooperation.

 

The Convener thanked the Ambassador for the constructive and engaging discussion and expressed the hope that the interaction would contribute to further strengthening the longstanding and cordial relations between Pakistan and Nepal.