Islamabad: Ambassador Misbah Khar, Special Envoy for the forthcoming Inter-Parliamentary Speakers' Conference (ISC), called on H.E. Sardar Ahmad Shakib, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad to discuss avenues for collaboration in the context of the upcoming Conference.
Ambassador Khar briefed the Afghan Ambassador on the objectives and framework of the ISC, an initiative designed to foster dialogue and cooperation among parliaments with the aim of advancing peace, connectivity, and sustainable development. She underscored that the ISC seeks to strengthen mutual understanding and trust through parliamentary diplomacy and to encourage collective responses to shared regional challenges.
The Special Envoy reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to maintaining close and constructive engagement with Afghanistan and emphasized that Kabul's participation in the ISC would bolster regional dialogue and contribute to stability and prosperity across South and Central Asia.
Ambassador Shakib appreciated the comprehensive briefing and lauded Pakistan's leadership in initiating the ISC as a timely and valuable platform for promoting mutual understanding and regional cooperation through legislative channels. He expressed Afghanistan's readiness to engage constructively in parliamentary initiatives that advance peace and development.
Ambassador Khar also informed the Afghan Ambassador that the Honourable Chairman Senate of Pakistan, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, has been unanimously elected as the founding President of the ISC - a testament to international confidence in Pakistan's role in advancing parliamentary diplomacy. She extended a formal invitation to the Afghan Parliament to attend the inaugural ISC session, scheduled for 11-12 November 2025 in Islamabad, under the theme 'Peace, Development, Stability and Security.'
The meeting concluded with expressions of goodwill and a shared resolve to enhance bilateral and regional cooperation through sustained parliamentary engagement.
Mr. Tariq bin Waheed, Senior Director General (Protocol), Senate of Pakistan, was also present.