Sada-e-Watan
Sydney ™
sadaewatan@gmail.com
High Commissioner Babar Amin First meeting with the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade of the Australian Parliament
Northern
based Government Senator Ian Macdonald has been elected as Chairman of the
prestigious parliamentary committee, the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign
Affairs Defence and Trade. This powerful committee oversights the Foreign
Affairs Department, the Department of Defence and the Department of Trade, and
has a number of sub-committees which inquire in depth into these portfolio
areas.
The committee regularly meets with Ambassadors from other countries,
and with Australia’s Ambassadors and High Commissioners representing our
country in other nations.
The committee also regularly examines military
leaders and investigates proposed military strategies and
projects.
Senator Hon. Ian Macdonald
The committee also oversights Australia’s Trade negotiations and has parliamentary input into negotiations for free trade and other trade agreements.
Hon. Nick Camion MP
The committee comprises 32 members and its deputy Chairman is Mr Nick Camion MP the Labor member for Wakefield.
On Wednesday, 19th September 2018, the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade of the Australian Parliament invited High Commissioner for Pakistan, Mr. Babar Amin for a meeting at the Parliament House Canberra. The Chair of the Committee, Senator the Hon. Ian Macdonald welcomed the High Commissioner. In his opening remarks, the High Commissioner provided an overview of Pakistan’s domestic and regional developments and gave perspective for strengthening Pakistan-Australia bilateral relationship.
His Excellency Mr. Babar Amin
The High Commissioner Babar Amin mentioned that
Pakistan and Australia had traditionally enjoyed close friendly relations.
While maintaining candid difference of opinion on a range of issues, the two
countries shared perceptions on several subjects of international significance.
He emphasized the need for increasing Pakistan-Australia bilateral leadership,
parliamentary and senior officials’ level exchanges
The High
Commissioner Babar Amin thanked Senator Linda Reynolds, who was a part of the
Commonwealth Observers ‘Group for her recent statement that Pakistan was “a
fascinating, friendly and wonderfully diverse nation”. He also appreciated the
Senator for stating the recent elections as “historic for Pakistan” and that
there was “no question” in her mind that “the result represented majority of
Pakistan voters” and “its citizens”. He stated that while the new Government in
Pakistan was focused on the socio-economic development through austerity and
institutional reforms, it also aimed at improving relations with all including
the neighbouring countries.
He urged the Honourable members of
Parliament to play their role in conclusion of an Early Harvest Preferential
Trade Arrangement with Pakistan, which would correct certain imbalances and
increase the bilateral trade. He stated that Pakistan offered the most liberal
investment regime in the entire region, where inter-alia, a ten-year corporate
income tax holiday and one-time duty-free import of capital goods were being
offered at the Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
The High Commissioner mentioned that the 15,000 or so Pakistani
students in Australia, were contributing more than half a billion dollars in
the Australian economy annually and were one of the most vibrant links between
the two countries. He emphasized the need for better utilization of the
Australian Development Assistance (ODA) and greater transparency and mutual
evaluation of the projects and prioritizing the capacity building in protection
of indigenous genotype of agriculture crops and fruits and in phytosanitary
matters. He hoped that the establishment of two or three Centres of Excellence
for Technical and Vocational Education in Pakistan would be considered through
ODA.
He mentioned the recent visit of the veteran Australian politician
former Senator Lee Rhiannon to Kashmir, where she expressed the hope that the
UN Human Rights Report on Kashmir could provide a pathway for the Right to
Self-Determination of the Kashmiris. Mentioning the humanitarian crisis and
human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir, the High Commissioner
urged the members of the Parliament to support the establishment of an
Independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate human rights abuses in Kashmir
as proposed by the UN Human Rights Commissioner.
The members of the
Committee showed keen interest in understanding the priorities and agenda of
the recently elected Government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, prospects of
increasing bilateral trade and opportunities available to Australian businesses
in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridors (CPEC) and various other
issues.
H.E. Babar Amin briefing on Pakistan’s domestic& regional developments and gave perspective for strengthening Pakistan-Australia bilateral relationship.
