Daily Times

ISLAMBAD: US House of Representative’s Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Weldon Meeks on Thursday said that efforts of Pakistan to ensure peace and stability in the region were commendable.

In a video-link meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi, he said that Pakistan was an important country in the region. The two sides discussed bilateral relations, the growing trend of Islamophobia and other important regional and global issues.

Qureshi said that Pakistan and the US had similarity of views regarding peace in the region. He said that peace in Afghanistan was essential for economic development of Pakistan and the region. He recalled that his interaction with the US House of Representatives during the emergency session of the UN General Assembly in New York focused on important issues.

The foreign minister briefed the Foreign Affairs Committee chairman about Pakistan’s concern over the growing trend of Islamophobia the world over. He said that Pakistan was committed to voice against hate speech and Islamophobia at various international forums, including the United Nations.

He stressed collective efforts of the international community to counter Islamophobia and ensure peaceful coexistence. Gregory Meeks also expressed his condolences over the tragic incident involving killing of four members of a Pakistan-origin family in Canada.