Pakistan, China vow to strengthen parliamentary ties

By Masood Sattar Khan in Beijing
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Member National Assembly (MNA) Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, alongwith the 15-member delegation of young parliamentarians, was warmly welcomed by Vice Minister of International Department of Communist Party of China (CPC), Chen Fengxiang, in Beijing. 

Welcoming the delegation at the CPC headquarters, Chen Fengxiang stressed the need for long-term regular and institutionalized party relations between the two countries. Both sides agreed to further strengthen and deepen party to party relations and exchanges at the party level. 

It was also discussed how both parties can benefit from each other’s experiences for improving the capacity of political parties. The visit is a consequence of the MoU signed between the two countries during Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s official visit to China in July last year. 

The Pakistan Muslim League (N) delegation is being led by Party Secretary General, Zafar Iqbal Jhagra also visited China in September last year. The CPC delegation also carried out reciprocal visit to Pakistan in Febraury this year. 

Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, at a luncheon hosted by Ambassador Masood Khalid at the Pakistan House in Beijing, said that the visit provided an opportunity to both sides to discuss further strengthening of party relations between the two countries and share experience about the formation and structure of political parties in the two countries. 

Highlighting the time tested, all weather friendship he said that this was a very special trip to a China with which we have cooperation and convergence in all areas. He also visited the metro orange line in Beijing to experience and observe the Beijing transportation system. 

Pakistan’s parliamentarian delegation of ruling political party, the PML-N arrived in China on April 21 and will depart on April 29. The delegation activities started from Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province where the delegation visited the grassroots organization of the CPC called CPC Primary Unit.

They also visited the Pakistan study center at the Sichuan University and held in depth discussion on formation, structure and capacity building of political parties in each other’s countries. 

The delegation comprised Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Mohammad Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, Marvi Memon, Jam Kamal Khan, Dr Darshan, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha, Muhammad Tallal Chaudhry, Mariyum Aurangzeb, Saud Majeed, Mohammad Khurram Gulfam, Qazi Adnan Fareed.