Chatterjee calls for more cooperation between India, Pakistan

New Delhi, Nov 19 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee Wednesday called for increased co-operation between India and Pakistan and their parliaments.

Welcoming a nine-member delegation from the National Assembly of Pakistan, Chatterjee expressed hope that there would be more synergy in bilateral relations and such a spirit of camaraderie would be extended to other areas as well.

He also recalled the close cooperation between the two parliaments at the recently concluded Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Expressing happiness at the restoration of democracy in Pakistan, the speaker hoped that the governments of the two countries would be able to resolve all pending issues in a peaceful manner.

Appreciating the higher representation of women in the National Assembly of Pakistan, which comes to almost 22 percent, Chatterjee lamented that the representation of women in Indian Parliament was relatively less.

He also emphasised the need of united action by the two nations against the menace of terrorism.

Pakistan Federal Minister Farzana Raja, who leads the delegation, also called for concerted efforts to eradicate terrorism in the region.