ISLAMABAD, Dec 1 (APP): Acting Chairman Senate, Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali on Monday said that a Pak‑Kirghiz Friendship Group will be created in the Senate soon.

He said this while talking to the Ambassador of Kirghiz Republic to Pakistan Bakhytbek Shabarbayev, who called on him at the Parliament House today.

The Acting Chairman said Pakistan and the Central Asian Republics are bound together by centuries old ties of history, culture and religion and these would go from strength to strength in the days to come.

He said that he would play his role in creation of the friendship group, which would be joined by Senators who frequent these Republics. He also underlined the need to further consolidating the economic, business

and trade relations with the Kirghiz Republic adding that a lot of scope exists for widening and expanding these relations. He also called for more Parliamentary exchanges to the mutual advantages of both the countries.

The Ambassador evinced a keen interest in availing of the facilities being offered by the Gwadar Port. He said that Gwadar is the closest sea port to Central Asia and it offers immense possibilities for movement of goods and services.

He expressed his Government’s keen desire to buy land in the special zone in Gwadar. He also pointed out that the country could help Pakistan overcome its power crisis by importing electricity from the Kirghiz Republic.

The Acting Chairman Senate thanked the Ambassador for the offer. He said that the Government is presently busy in completing the link roads and other auxiliary facilities for making the Gwadar Port fully operational.

He said that it is destined to become the regional hub and could easily serve the countries of the region. The Ambassador also requested the Acting Chairman to examine the possibility of extending the NLC truck service to the Central Asian Republics for facilitating bilateral trade.

He also disclosed that there are about 400 Pakistani students presently studying medicine and engineering in the Kirghiz Republic.