ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf on Tuesday said political consensus on issues of vital national importance was imperative for leading the country on the path of progress.

In a meeting with British High Commissioner Dr Christian Turner in the Parliament House, Mr Ashraf said the government had taken measures to take the country out of the present economic crisis, adding that the Pakistani nation was resilient and had successfully steered itself out of challenges in the past.

Speaking about cordial relations between executive and legislatures of Pakistan and the United Kingdom, the NA speaker said Pakistan wanted to further consolidate them through parliamentary and economic cooperation.

He said interaction between legislatures of both countries would enhance existing cooperation in diverse sectors of economy, adding that legislation to protect civil liberties was prioritised by the government.

The Pakistani diaspora in the UK was playing its role towards national development, he said, adding that the Pak-UK parliamentary friendship group was vibrant and playing its role in strengthening bilateral relations.

He invited British parliamentarians to be part of the diamond jubilee celebration of the parliament scheduled in August this year.

Dr Turner said Britain also attached importance to its historic relations with Pakistan that had witnessed progression with the passage of time.

He lauded Pakistan’s remarkable progress made on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) issue, adding that UK High Commission in Islamabad would extend support to Pakistan in enhancing bilateral economic cooperation.

He also extended support towards building strong parliamentary relations between both countries through the platform of parliamentary friendship groups.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2022