Speaker of the House Devraj Ghimire of Nepal met with a visiting Pakistani parliamentary delegation at Singha Durbar in Kathmandu, focusing on regional cooperation and shared challenges facing the Himalayan region. The meeting took place alongside the Hindu Kush Himalaya Parliamentarians’ Meet 2025, which brought together lawmakers from several South Asian countries to discuss pressing issues such as climate change and sustainable development.
The Pakistani delegation, led by parliamentarian Munaza Hassan, was welcomed by Speaker Ghimire, who emphasized the historically strong relations between Nepal and Pakistan. He highlighted the need for a unified regional approach to tackle common environmental and socio-economic challenges, especially those affecting mountain communities. Ghimire suggested that increased parliamentary collaboration could help unlock opportunities in trade, connectivity, and tourism for both countries.
During the discussions, Speaker Ghimire advocated for joint strategies to address the adverse impacts of climate change, promote sustainable livelihoods, and protect the Himalayan ecosystem. He reiterated Nepal’s commitment to fostering regional partnerships in pursuit of these goals.
Munaza Hassan praised Nepal’s efforts in organizing the parliamentary meet and its proactive steps to address climate-related threats and environmental preservation in the mountain regions. She stressed the importance of continued regional cooperation to achieve sustainable development targets. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Nepal, Abrar H. Hashmi, was also present at the meeting.
The two-day conference, supported by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), brought together representatives from Nepal, India, China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Pakistan. The event focused on developing collaborative policy frameworks to combat climate change, biodiversity loss, disaster risks, and environmental degradation across the Himalayan region.
