Visit to Canada of the Honourable Chaudhry Amir Hussain, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and a Parliamentary Delegation

From March 19 to 23, 2007, the Honourable Chaudhry Amir Hussain, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, led a delegation of members of the National Assembly composed of Dr. Hajra Tariq Aziz, Major (R) Zulfiqar Ali Gondal, Mrs. Riffat Javed Kahlon, Mr. Sardar Muhammad Faiz Tamman, Mr. Zia ul Haq, Secretary of the National Assembly and Mr. Sikandar Ismail Khan, Director General, International Relations and Mr. Muhammad Anwar Sial, Protocol Officer, on an official visit to Ottawa, Toronto and Niagara Falls at the invitation of the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Honourable Peter Milliken.

In Ottawa, the delegation met with:

• The Honourable Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons;
• The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate;
• The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency;
• The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety;
• Members of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee; and
• Members of the Canada-Pakistan Friendship Group.

In Toronto, the delegation met with:

• The Honourable Michael A. Brown, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario;
• The Honourable James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario;
• The Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario;
• The Honourable Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ontario;
• The Honourable Harinder Takhar, Minister of Small Business and Entrepreneurship of Ontario; and
• Dr. Shafiq Qaadri, MPP, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health Promotion of Ontario.

The delegation visited the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, the CN Tower in Toronto and Niagara Falls.

The visit of the delegation from the National Assembly followed the successful visit of a delegation from the Senate of Pakistan in 2006. The purpose of the visit was to increase cooperation and good relations between Pakistan and Canada in the many fields of commons interest between the two countries. Discussions with Canadian parliamentarians covered the political situation and parliamentary developments in Pakistan, trade between Canada and Pakistan, Pakistan’s relations with India, and the situation on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In Toronto, the delegation met with Premier McGuinty and discussed trade and exchanges between Ontario and Pakistan. The members of the delegation were also invited as special guests at a flag raising ceremony in the City of Markham near Toronto, on the occasion of the National Day of Pakistan on March 23.