Amid strained relations, India, Pak legislators talk agriculture in Dubai

Former Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar and a member of Pakistan’s Senate, Muhammad Mohsin Khan Leghari, chaired the dialogue which took place last Sunday.

Despite the recent strain in ties between India and Pakistan, an interaction between elected legislators of both the countries took place in Dubai over the weekend amid much bonhomie.

Five MLAs from Haryana— three from the BJP, two from the Indian National Lok Dal and one from Congress — attended a dialogue on democracy and governance focusing on agriculture/livestock policies and practices, conducted by Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT). Former Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar and a member of Pakistan’s Senate, Muhammad Mohsin Khan Leghari, chaired the dialogue which took place last Sunday.

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The Pakistani delegation comprised six Members of Provincial Assembly of Pakistan Punjab.

Besides politicians, experts on agriculture attended the event.

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Addressing organisers, Aiyar said that it was sad that owing to strained ties, the event had to be held in Dubai instead of India or Pakistan.

“I had initially refused as I did not think anyone from India will attend. But I am glad that so many political representatives have come from Haryana,” he said.

Pakistan Senator Leghari was of the view that despite tension between the two countries, dialogue should not be abandoned.

The participants later arrived at a joint statement in which they stressed the need of continuing dialogue between the countries.

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