The Pakistan–Ireland Parliamentary Friendship Group (PFG) held its inaugural briefing at Parliament House in Islamabad, chaired virtually by MNA Munaza Hassan, to review current bilateral dynamics and identify ways to deepen parliamentary cooperation and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
The session brought together PFG members, including Nuzhat Sadiq, Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Barrister Danyal Chaudhary, Asia Naz Tanoli, Seher Kamran and Huma Akhtar Chughtai. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Ireland, Aisha Farooqui, delivered an in-depth overview of the bilateral relationship, outlining ongoing engagements and potential areas for expanded cooperation.
MNA Munaza Hassan, convener of the PFG, stressed the need to institutionalize inter-parliamentary engagement and proposed arranging a virtual meeting with the counterpart friendship group in the Irish Parliament. She said structured inter-parliamentary exchanges would create a foundation for sustained parliamentary diplomacy and more practical, result‑oriented outcomes.
Members underscored the significant role of the Pakistani diaspora in Ireland and called for better facilitation and platforms to enable the community’s effective contribution to bilateral relations. They also emphasized expanding academic linkages through university partnerships and research collaborations and sought stronger cooperation in culture, sports, agriculture and education.
The briefing noted the election of Ammar Ali as the first Pakistani councillor in Ireland as a positive example of the community’s contributions abroad. Participants concluded that closer engagement with the Irish parliamentary group—alongside initiatives in trade, education, culture, climate and environmental resilience, agriculture and diaspora support—would promote people‑to‑people connectivity and help build a long‑term partnership between Pakistan and Ireland.
