ISLAMABAD, June 8: Former Indian external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha on Thursday called on Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and discussed the composite dialogue process between Pakistan and India.

Mr Sinha was the foreign minister at the time of resumption of the dialogue process between the two countries on the sidelines of the Saarc summit in Islamabad in January 2004.

“They agreed that the successful conclusion of the composite dialogue would lead to the prosperity for the people of the region,” a foreign office statement said.

Mr Sinha told Mr Kasuri that the BJP was very committed to the peace process and underscored the point that the composite dialogue process had started during the BJP government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.—APP

Our Reporter adds: Former Indian finance minister and Rajya Sabha member Yashwant Sinha has said interaction and dialogues create an environment to have a better understanding of each other’s point of view.

Mr Sinha called on Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro at his residence here on Thursday and discussed matters of mutual interest including cooperation at the parliament level.

He said he was glad to learn that in Pakistan the media was playing a key role in creating awareness among the masses of their rights and responsibilities.

Mr Soomro said lower house i.e. the National Assembly comprised 342 members, out of which 72 were women, whereas there were 17 female members in the upper house, the Senate.

He said these days Senate was deliberating on various aspects of the national budget and its standing committee on finance was formulating recommendations for incorporation in the budget.

Regarding the composition of Senate, Mr Soomro informed the Indian member of Rajya Sabha that all the federating units had been given equal representation in the upper house regardless of their size and population.

The provincial assemblies elect 22 members each for their respective provinces, eight are from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and four from the federal capital.