Islamabad, August 25, 2026: The Pakistan-Nepal+Bhutan Parliamentary Friendship Group (PFG) of the National Assembly on Tuesday held a meeting with Nepalese Ambassador to Pakistan Rita Dhital at Parliament House, discussing ways to strengthen bilateral relations, parliamentary exchanges, trade and people-to-people contacts.
The meeting was led by PFG Convener Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, MNA, and attended by group members Shahzada Muhammad Gushtasap Khan, Farah Naz Akbar, Shaista Khan, Isphanyar M. Bhandara, Danyal Chaudhary and Dr Darshan.
Welcoming the ambassador, Dr Malani said Pakistan and Nepal enjoyed deep-rooted cultural, historical and civilisational ties and had maintained cordial and friendly relations over the years.
He emphasised the importance of regular parliamentary interaction in bringing the two legislatures and peoples closer and identifying new areas of cooperation.
The convener highlighted significant potential for expanding cooperation in trade and investment, education, tourism, culture, youth exchanges, information technology and digital services, as well as people-to-people contacts.
Ambassador Rita Dhital appreciated the warm welcome and reaffirmed the friendly relations between Nepal and Pakistan. She stressed the importance of strengthening parliamentary exchanges and noted ongoing cooperation in areas including education, climate change, tourism, trade and cultural exchanges.
The ambassador also emphasised the need to improve connectivity and facilitate greater business-to-business interaction between the two countries.
Both sides discussed ways to enhance parliamentary engagement through Parliamentary Friendship Groups, reciprocal visits and virtual interactions. The meeting also explored opportunities to expand bilateral trade and business linkages.
Connectivity emerged as a key area of discussion, with participants stressing the need to explore the restoration of direct air connectivity between Pakistan and Nepal. They viewed improved air links as an important step towards promoting religious and adventure tourism, facilitating trade and strengthening people-to-people contacts.
The participants also highlighted the shared Himalayan geography and mountaineering traditions of the two countries, as well as the religious significance of Buddhist heritage sites in Pakistan and Nepal, as areas with considerable potential for greater cooperation.
Dr Malani thanked Ambassador Dhital for the constructive and engaging discussion and expressed hope that the interaction would contribute to further strengthening the longstanding and cordial relations between Pakistan and Nepal.
