Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Damascus, SANA-Chairman of the Pakistani Senate Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari underlined deep Syrian-Pakistani relations and Pakistan’s support for Syria against terrorism that constitutes a menace to the entire region and the world.
The Pakistani lawmaker was speaking during his meeting with Speaker of the People’s Assembly Mohammad Jihad al-Laham, shortly after arriving in Syria for a three-day visit.
He stressed the importance of respecting the sovereignty of the Syrian state and assisting it in finding a political solution to the crisis.
“Pakistan, being a UN member state, believes in independent national decision of member states rejects foreign interference in sovereign countries,” he said, calling for respecting the will of the Syrian people.
He considered that terrorist organizations, mainly ISIS, are tarnishing the image of Islam, reminding that Pakistan has long suffered from the scourge of terrorism.
The Pakistani official pointed to stringent measures in his country to prevent the terror organization from mounting any attack on the Pakistani soil.
He underlined the big role parliamentarians can play in pushing for political and peaceful solutions to problems, stressing the importance of consultations between friendly countries for public welfare.
The Parliament Speaker, for his part, called for utilizing parliamentary diplomacy in combating international terrorism, repelling terrorist organizations, respecting relevant international resolutions and preventing foreign meddling in the affairs of sovereign states.
The international anti-ISIS coalition is “nothing more than a publicity stunt,” the Parliament speaker said.
He warned that terror organizations pose “a cross-border threat that knows no geographical boundaries,” reminding that Syria has repeatedly warned that terrorism might come back to haunt the same countries that supported it.
Al-Laham vowed continuity in the Syrian army’s battle against terrorism until security and stability are brought back in sync with the government’s efforts in conducting national reconciliations.
In a joint press conference, Bokhari highly valued the openness shown by the Syrian leadership to solve the crisis through dialogue, hoping that Syria will emerge soon from the crisis engulfing it.
He urged the United Nations member states to shoulder their responsibilities to bring about peace and security in the region and the world.
Al-Laham, for his part, said that fighting terrorism is uppermost among the public’s priorities, indicating that Syria highly appreciates the stances of friends and their initiatives to get Syria out of the crisis, citing the efforts of Pakistan to help Syria confront “lethal terrorism”.
He cited previous meetings with Bokhari in which, he said, had sensed willingness on his part to help Syria conquer terrorism.
Al-Halqi, Bokhari discuss bolstering cooperation in economic sectors
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr. Wael al-Halqi discussed with Bokhari means to vitalize cooperation between Syria and Pakistan to cover economic, industrial, technical and medical sectors.
Al-Halqi affirmed the Syrian government’s desire to broaden the scope of economic, trade and development sectors and increase trade exchange volume between the two countries, calling on Pakistani companies to contribute to the rehabilitation process in Syria and establishing vital development and service projects.
For his part, Bokhari stressed the importance of upgrading economic and trade relations to match the level of the historical and political ones binding the two countries, expressing his government’s will to open new bilateral cooperation channels to provide basic needs for the Syrian people.
Manal Ismael
