Stronger Pak-Lanka partnership key to fighting terrorism, poverty in region

Saturday, 24 June 2017 01:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Interior Minister Ch. Nisar Ali Khan has said that a stronger Pakistan-Sri Lankan partnership was key to promoting greater cooperation in the region, strengthening regional platforms and was also a bulwark against the challenges facing the region including the issue of terrorism and poverty besides warding off any self-assumed notion of hegemony in the region. He said this while talking to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Islamabad at Punjab House on Thursday, when the latter called on him along with his delegation.

The Sri Lankan delegation included former Foreign Minister G.L. Peris, former Ministers Dullas Alahapperuma, Wimal Weerawansa and Lokubandara Udith Sanjaya and Yoshitha Rajapaksa.

Welcoming the visiting delegation, the Minister remarked that Rajapaksa was known to the people of Pakistan as a true friend who during his tenure not just added great strength to Pakistani-Lankan relations but was also instrumental in diversifying this equation in all possible areas of mutual cooperation.The Minister, while expressing satisfaction over the steady and upward trajectory of Pakistani- Lankan economic, political, socio-cultural and defence cooperation, observed that the countries’ relations spanning over six decades were characterised by spirit of sincerity, friendship, mutual respect, understanding and mutual cooperation for the benefit of both peoples.

The Interior Minister said that Pakistan and Sri Lanka faced challenges of similar nature and the strategic friendship was critical not only to ward off hegemonic intentions in the region but also to fight mutual challenges and issues.

If poverty, natural calamities and socio-economic conditions pose challenges to ordinary people, the issues of terrorism, volatile regional peace and instability threaten at state level, thus impeding the march towards progress and securing brighter and secure future for both peoples, continued the Interior Minister.

He said that the tenure of former President Rajapaksa had provided the two countries with a solid base to further build on gains of the past and broaden the scope of the existing relations by exploring new avenues of cooperation especially in the areas of economy, security, border management, capacity building of law enforcement agencies, fighting illicit drug trade and human trafficking. The two leaders also discussed regional situation. There was unanimity of views that Pak-Sri Lankan relations and bilateral cooperation needed to be further strengthened.

Former President Rajapaksa thanked the Interior Minister and the Government of Pakistan for the warm welcome that was extended to him and his delegation during his visit and expressed the hope that the two countries would continue to tread the path that leads to greater cooperation and greater understanding between the two countries in the years to follow.

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