Wednesday, Jun 18, 2003
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India & World
By B. Muralidhar Reddy
An Indian Parliamentary delegation at the Wagah border check post, near Amritsar, before leaving for Pakistan on Tuesday.
Besides taking part in several interactive sessions in Lahore, the delegation would travel to Islamabad and Karachi. The visit has been arranged and hosted by the Pakistan-India People's Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) and can be termed as return trip by Indian MPs to the recent visit of their Pakistani counterparts to India. But there is one major difference in the trip undertaken by the Pakistani MPs to India last week and the visit of Indian parliamentarians. Though there is nothing official about it, the Indian MPs would not only enjoy the hospitality of the National Assembly Speaker, Amir Hussain, and the Senate Chairman, Sajjad Hussain, but also the benefit with representatives of all political parties. Since the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, is away on a foreign tour, Mr. Hussain would be the Acting President in his capacity as Senate Chairman. According to the Rajya Sabha member and veteran journalist, Kuldip Nayar, the basic objective of the visit is to strengthen the hands of forces in both countries who desired peace and betterment of relations and lend weight behind the Vajpayee peace initiative. The members, who crossed over into Pakistan through the Wagha border, appeared to be clearly overwhelmed at the reception from the common people, members of the Forum and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. "We are overjoyed at the sentiments and expression of affection,'' one member said on telephone from Lahore. Initially, it was to have to been an 11-member delegation. But two members including Renuka Choudhary dropped out in the last minute for personal reasons. Three more members are expected to join the delegation tomorrow. A hectic schedule awaits the members during their stay in Pakistan.The PIPFPD has planned an impressive itinerary for the Indian MPs, which would start formally tomorrow. The schedule includes a meeting with Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal leaders in Islamabad. The Jamaat-e-Islami has also requested the PIPFPD for a meeting with the delegation. It would visit the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and will have a meeting with industry representatives on June 18. This would be followed by a reception and lunch, hosted by the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) on its campus. There would be an open dialogue on peace between Pakistan and India at the office of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in the afternoon which would be followed by a dinner hosted by the Punjab Chief Minister, Pervez Elahi. On June 19, the delegation would attend a meeting with a women's NGO. The Pakistan Institute for National Affairs (PINA) has also arranged a dialogue with the Indian MPs during the afternoon. The MPs would later attend a dinner hosted by India Pakistan Soldiers Initiative for Peace (IPSIP). The delegation would reach Islamabad on June 20. They would attend a lunch hosted by member of the National Assembly, M.P. Bhandara. Then they would join a gathering arranged by their hosts in Pakistan, PIPFPD, and close the day with a dinner hosted by the Senate chairman. On June 21, the Indian delegation would attend a dialogue organised by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute, to be followed by a lunch and dinner hosted by the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) leader, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan. It would be attended by a number of political personalities. The MPs would meet the Millat Party chief and former Pakistan president, Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari, on June 22. The president of the PML-QA, the ruling party at the centre, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, would host a dinner for the delegation. The delegation would leave for Karachi on June 23. It would attend a presentation of a community project. In the afternoon, the MPs will join a public meeting arranged by the local chapter of the PIPFDP.
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