Islamabad: Pakistan’s Population Welfare Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan today said she would travel to India on Wednesday on a five-day official visit, during which she will attend ceremonies marking the marriage of cricketer Shoaib Malik and tennis star Sania Mirza.
Awan said she was visiting India at the invitation of its Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and would be guest of her Indian counterpart Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Besides holding official meetings, she would attend ceremonies marking the wedding of Shoaib and Sania, she told a news conference.
This cross border wedding was a good omen for cementing bilateral relations and a matter of pride for both countries, she said.
Awan said she would present the bride a gold crown and special gifts on behalf of the people of Pakistan.
Awan had recently said she would present the couple a family planning kit and ask them to become ambassadors for Pakistan’s programmes to control population growth.
The Minister, who represents Shoaib’s hometown Sialkot in Parliament, said the formal dialogue process between India and Pakistan was suspended in 2008 but informal contacts had continued.
"The absence of direct contacts at the government level has created an atmosphere of misunderstanding and this had affected efforts to find solutions to matters of mutual
interest," she said, adding that her visit would help improve relations and address several issues including poverty and women’s welfare.
Awan is also expected to hold meetings with the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and other female parliamentarians.
Since Sailkot is an industrial city known for sports goods and surgical instruments, Awan said she intends to meet representatives of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry to boost trade between the two countries.
PTI
