Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Tuesday said that terrorism was a global challenge and terrorists had no religion, while no single country could claim immunity from terrorism.

“Unified and collective action against this global menace is the only solution to root out terrorism,” he said while talking to French Ambassador Martine Dorance, who called on him at Parliament House on Tuesday.

The NA speaker said that Pakistan seeks to add concrete substance to its ties with France, and urged the French ambassador to consolidate Pak-France trade relations. He added that France shines prominently in Pakistan’s strategic calculations of outreach to Europe and underlined the need for regular exchange of parliamentary delegations in the form of ‘parliamentary friendship groups’ to explore further avenues of cooperation.

Martine Dorance endorsed Ayaz Sadiq’s proposal for expansion and diversification of trade relations and highlighted that France is also committed to strengthening inter-parliamentary and people-to-people ties with Pakistan. She also reinforced French support to strengthen democratic institutions in Pakistan. The ambassador highly appreciated Pakistan’s decision to host the PSL final in Lahore and expressed her sincere wishes for the return of international cricket to Pakistan. She added that the bravery of the people of Pakistan also deserved appreciation.

Referring to Pakistan’s frontline role in the war on terror, the French ambassador highlighted that Pakistan’s steadfast endeavours to root out terrorism offers lessons for the people of France who had witnessed a recent spate of terrorist attacks on their soil.

Ayaz Sadiq outlined how the decision to host the PSL final was a difficult one to make; however, the people, security agencies, and political leadership of Pakistan unanimously decided to host the final in Pakistan and demonstrated that Pakistan was united against the agents of hatred and terror. He added that the entire nation was jubilant to host the PSL final in Lahore, and observed how the government had demonstrated an unflinching resolve to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.