ISLAMABAD, Dec 09 (APP): Egyptian Ambassador to Pakistan Tarek Dahrough Wednesday said his country had a plan to launch the Egypt Air flight between Karachi and Cairo to boost people-to-people contacts between two countries.
The envoy told this to Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz during a meeting here, which focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of media, culture and tourism, said a news release.
Welcoming the initiative, the minister said it would contribute tremendously towards enhancing people-to-people contacts between two countries.
The move would also facilitate tourists and businessmen to travel from Pakistan to Egypt and vice versa, he added.
Shibli Faraz said the facility would definitely promote tourism linkages as both countries had breathtaking tourism attractions.
The dwellers of both countries should be encouraged and facilitated to visit and see those attractions, he added.
He said Pakistan was keen to emulate the Egyptian model for tourism development in order to give the industry a new headway.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, he added, had a desire to develop the tourism sector, and Pakistan would like to learn from Egypt’s expertise in the sphere.
Both sides agreed on joint ventures to produce and broadcast television plays, feature films and documentaries on reciprocal basis to promote religious and cultural traditions that the two brotherly Muslim countries shared in common.
Ambassador Tarek Dahrough emphasized on signing of a memorandum of understanding to facilitate such ventures.
The envoy apprised Shibli Faraz about establishment of Al-Azhar Educational Institute in Islamabad.
The Egyptian side, he said, had undertaken all formalities on its part and provision of a suitable building from the Pakistan side was awaited.
During the meeting, both the dignitaries also expressed strong desire for enhancing bilateral trade.
The minister, keeping in view “Look Africa” policy of the government, expressed commitment for efforts to increase bilateral trade with Egypt and active role of Commercial Section in Embassy of Pakistan, Cairo.
It may be recalled that the minister while heading the Senate’s Standing Committee on Commerce in 2015 had also advocated for trade engagement with Africa.
Ambassador Tarek Dahrough agreed on enhanced interaction between representatives of trade and business community, and appreciated the work of the Commercial Counsellor in Pakistan Embassy, Cairo.
Shibli Faraz also highlighted the issue of Kashmir and Islamophobia in the meeting.
He emphasized on the cooperation of member states of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on issues relating to Kashmir and rising Islamophobia.
Prime Minister Imran Khan through his speeches and resolutions at the United Nations always raised those issues on international fora, he added.
The ambassador assured the minister of his country’s support on the issues of Kashmir and Islamophobia. He added that no religion or its followers should be ridiculed in the name of freedom of expression.\932
