Pakistan FM holds talks with Bangladeshi officials during ‘historic’ visit

Pakistan and Bangladesh are expected to motion respective agreements, including connected commercialized arsenic the 2 nations determination closer.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has held talks with apical Bangladeshi officials and politicians, including the overseas affairs adviser, Touhid Hossain, arsenic the 2 South Asian nations purpose to reset relations amid Dhaka’s fraying ties with India.

Dar flew to Bangladesh connected Saturday, the astir elder Pakistani authoritative to sojourn Dhaka since 2012, with Islamabad calling it “historic” and a “significant milestone successful Pakistan-Bangladesh relations”.

Relations betwixt Dhaka and Islamabad have been easing since a wide uprising successful Bangladesh ousted Sheikh Hasina as premier curate past August, prompting her to fly to New Delhi. Hasina was considered much pro-India.

Dar’s sojourn comes days aft the 2 nations reportedly eased visa restrictions for question betwixt them.

Pakistan and Bangladesh are expected to motion respective agreements, including connected trade, connected Sunday. The 2 countries began oversea commercialized past year, expanding government-to-government commerce successful February.

“The 2 sides discussed ways to beforehand economical and commercialized cooperation, with a peculiar absorption connected enhancing commercialized and promoting connectivity,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said connected X aft Dar and Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan met Bangladesh’s commerce adviser, Sheikh Bashiruddin, connected Sunday morning.

There are besides plans to statesman nonstop Dhaka-Karachi flights, with section carriers seeking approvals, Bangladeshi paper The Daily Star reported.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Dar volition besides conscionable Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus.

Addressing a quality league astatine the Pakistani High Commission successful Dhaka connected Saturday, Dar underscored his country’s “strong tendency to forge a cooperative and forward-looking narration with Bangladesh”.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam (R) receives Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (L) astatine the Dhaka airdrome [Handout/Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AFP]

‘Active and stronger’

The apical Pakistani diplomat besides met Bangladeshi governmental delegates, including those from the Jamaat-e-Islami party, which opposed the breakup of Pakistan to found Bangladesh successful 1971.

“We discussed however to further heighten relations with the brotherly Muslim authorities [Pakistan] successful the coming days and however to marque the determination confederation [South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation] much progressive and stronger,” Jamaat-e-Islami’s lawman person Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, told reporters aft the meeting.

Dar besides met leaders of the recently formed National Citizen Party (NCP), which led past year’s uprising, arsenic good arsenic the enactment of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

On Friday, apical subject commanders from some countries met successful Pakistan.

A time earlier, Pakistani Minister Khan held talks successful Dhaka, wherever helium agreed to acceptable up associated commissions to boost commercialized and investment.

Pakistan’s subject was accused of wide atrocities during the 1971 war, erstwhile East Pakistan broke distant to signifier Bangladesh. Hundreds of thousands were killed – Bangladeshi estimates accidental millions – and galore successful Dhaka inactive request Islamabad apologise for the killings.

After 1971, Bangladesh leaned heavy connected India, which astir encircles the state of 170 cardinal people.

However, Yunus has demanded that India manus backmost Hasina, who continues to garbage to be her proceedings connected charges amounting to crimes against humanity.

Dhaka accused India this period of backing Hasina’s now-outlawed Awami League party, charges that New Delhi rejected, saying it “does not let governmental activities against different countries to beryllium carried out” from its soil.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies