ISLAMABAD, Feb 7: Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro on Monday expressed the hope that exchange of parliamentary delegations between Canada and Pakistan would go a long way in promoting interaction and mutual understanding between the parliaments of the two countries.

He was talking to member of the Canadian parliament Carolyn Parrish who called on him. They discussed matters pertaining to promotion of parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.

Referring to the Canadian support extended to Pakistan over the decades, Mr Soomro pointed out the assistance extended by Canada in the setting up of thermal power plant in Karachi.

He informed the Canadian member of parliament that the government had taken a number of steps to strengthen the participation of women in the socio-economic fields besides strengthening their role in the democratic process of the country. They exchanged views on the working of the parliaments of the two countries.

Ms Parrish appreciated the contributions of Canadian-based Pakistanis in the development of her country.

PML-N CHAIRMAN: Carolyn Parrish has said the ongoing killing and destruction in Iraq and human rights violation in Palestine is against the UN charter.

She was talking to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq at the PML-N central office on Monday, says a press release.

Ms Parrish said colour, ethnicity and religion should not be used as a pretext to kill innocent people as it was tantamount to following law of the jungle, she said. Ms Parrish asked for supremacy of human rights and democracy in all UN-member countries.

She said the world had become a global village and human knowledge had touched new heights, therefore, various countries should join hands for the welfare of the people across the globe without any discrimination.

Mr Haq also informed Ms Parrish about the absence of a democratic setup in Pakistan owing to which political institutions were being eliminated by the military establishment. Due to faulty policies of the military government, Mr Haq said, sufferings of countrymen had multiplied during the last five years and more and more people were plunging below poverty line and were deprived of their democratic rights.