New Delhi: Even as it goes through political turmoil, Pakistan will host an Indian Parliamentary delegation that will travel there from Monday on a visit aimed at enhancing bilateral ties, including in the field of trade.
The 14-member delegation, comprising MPs from various parties, will be on a four-day visit during which it will hold discussions with Pakistani lawmakers and expectedly meet the political leadership. The visit was scheduled more than a month back but there were questions over whether the delegation could go ahead in view of the current political turmoil in Pakistan, a source told PTI.
These questions were conveyed to the host - Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) - which has insisted that the visit should go ahead, the source said.
"The organisers were asked whether the plans to host the delegation could be affected because of the hectic political activities in Pakistan. But PILDAT got back, saying that the visit and the dialogue should go ahead," the source said.
PILDAT wanted the Indian MPs to come despite the situation after consulting Pakistan`s Deputy Chairman of Senate Jan Jamali and some Senators.
The `Goodwill and Trade and Commerce` delegation includes Mani Shankar Aiyar (Congress), Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha (both BJP), Derek O`Brien (Trinamool Congress), Supriya Sule (NCP), D Raja (CPI), Jay Panda (BJD), N K Singh (JD-U) and A Owaisi (AIMIM).
Among various issues to be discussed, the Indian delegation is expected to take up the confusion over Pakistan granting Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India and seek clarity.