On Tuesday 16 June 2026 at Committee Room No.7 in Parliament House Islamabad, the Pakistan–Ethiopia Parliamentary Friendship Group met under the chairpersonship of Hon. Mr. Arshad Abdullah Vohra, MNA with H.E. Dr. Oumer Hussien Oba, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to Pakistan. The gathering brought together Members of the National Assembly including Mr. Pullain Baloch, Ms. Saba Sadiq, Ms. Shaista Khan, Ms. Ghazala Anjum and Mr. Farhan Chishti to discuss ways to deepen Pakistan Ethiopia ties through parliamentary channels.
The Convener warmly welcomed the Ambassador and emphasised the role of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting mutual understanding and cooperation. Reflecting on his professional engagement in Ethiopia’s textile sector in 2013, he noted Ethiopia’s remarkable economic and industrial advances and said Pakistan could draw lessons to expand collaboration in trade, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges as part of broader efforts to strengthen Pakistan Ethiopia ties.
Ambassador Oumer Hussien Oba expressed appreciation for the reception and said he has been serving in Pakistan for five months. He identified parliamentary cooperation, trade promotion, educational links, cultural exchanges and environmental collaboration as priority areas for future engagement. The Ambassador also informed Members about the planned formation of a new Ethiopian parliament in September and underlined his interest in building institutional linkages between the two legislatures.
Members of the Friendship Group highlighted practical areas for enhanced cooperation, including trade and agriculture, scholarship opportunities, youth and women’s exchanges, tourism promotion and environmental protection. Delegates stressed the need to improve connectivity, facilitate business-to-business contacts and encourage closer interaction between academic institutions and civil society to translate parliamentary dialogue into measurable outcomes.
The Convener thanked H.E. the Ambassador for his constructive engagement and reaffirmed the Friendship Group’s commitment to fostering stronger parliamentary ties. Both sides agreed to remain in close contact and to pursue practical initiatives that will advance mutual interests and further cement the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and Ethiopia.
