ISLAMABAD – Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq on Tuesday held separate meetings with the Speaker of Parliament of Uganda, Jacob Marksons Oboth, and Deputy Speaker of House of the Nation of Bangladesh Barrister Kayser Kamal on the sidelines of 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral and parliamentary relations.
During his meeting with the Speaker of Parliament of Uganda, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq welcomed Jacob Marksons Oboth and recalled his longstanding friendship with Uganda. He also recalled the role played by former Speaker of Uganda Madame Kadaga in supporting Pakistan’s successful bid for the Presidency of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in 2015, according to the press release issued by national assembly secretariat.
The NA Speaker said that Pakistan has resolved to renew and strengthen its friendships with African countries, stressing that it is time to further deepen Afro-Pak relations. He described Uganda as an important country in Africa and invited the Speaker of Parliament of Uganda to lead a parliamentary delegation to Pakistan.
Ayaz Sadiq informed his Ugandan counterpart that an 18-member Pak-Uganda Parliamentary Friendship Group was already functioning in the National Assembly of Pakistan and expressed hope that a similar group would be established in the Parliament of Uganda. The Ugandan Speaker informed him that a Friendship Group had already been constituted in his Parliament and handed over a copy of his letter dated September 9, 2026.
The two sides identified several potential areas of cooperation, including higher education, agriculture, food security, defence, climate change and parliamentary innovation. The NA Speaker also highlighted the challenges posed by climate change to Pakistan and said that issues of mutual concern could form part of an agreed agenda for future cooperation.
Later on, Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also held meeting with Deputy Speaker of House of the Nation of Bangladesh Barrister Kayser Kamal. He welcomed the Bangladeshi delegation and offered a Fateha for the departed soul of the spouse of the Speaker of Bangladesh. He recalled his memorable visit to Dhaka for the funeral of Begum Khaleda Zia and also referred to his meeting with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that Pakistan has always desired strong and cordial ties with Bangladesh. He recalled that Pakistan had supported Dr Sharmeen Chaudhury for the chairpersonship of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and emphasized that there was considerable scope for mutual learning and cooperation between the two countries and their Parliaments.
The NA Speaker briefed the Deputy Speaker on Pakistan’s position regarding its dispute with India and reiterated that Pakistan believed in the peaceful settlement of disputes, stressing that war was not the solution.
The NA Speaker also appreciated the Makkah Accord and he said that the whole world is praising Pakistan’s role in facilitating historic diplomacy between Iran and the United States of America and the developments surrounding the first direct contact between the two countries in several decades. He said that Pakistan remained vigilant against efforts aimed at undermining the peace process.
