Mohammad Imran
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar is set to pay an official visit to Dhaka next month. The dates, nevertheless, would mutually be finalised later through discussions between officials of the two countries.
Significant milestone
The foreign minister disclosed this at a press briefing here on Thursday, terming the upcoming trip as a “significant milestone” in improving bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“I believe the Bangladesh visit is very important. Bangladesh is our long-lost brother. We will work together, focusing on trade and economic cooperation to support one another.”
The visit, the foreign minister stated, is taking place at the invitation of Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus whom Dar recently met at an event in Cairo.
“Muhammad Yunus extended an invitation to visit Dhaka. In return, he also accepted Pakistan’s invitation to visit Islamabad,” he added.
Dar went on to inform that the political landscape in Bangladesh has shifted since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year government last year, following a bloody uprising. He observed that “during her tenure, Bangladesh-Pakistan relations were significantly strained. Despite Pakistan’s repeated efforts to normalise relations, Sheikh Hasina prioritised ties with New Delhi.”
Muhammad Yunus extended an invitation to visit Dhaka. In return, he also accepted Pakistan’s invitation to visit Islamabad,” Pakistan FM Ishaq Dar.
However, since the change in government, relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan have visibly improved, with multiple high-level exchanges taking place between the two countries. Bangladesh has removed several restrictions on the import and export of goods between the nations. Direct sea trade routes have also been established, signalling growing economic cooperation.
It would be pertinent to mention here that the last Pakistani foreign minister to visit Bangladesh was Hina Rabbani Khar, who travelled to Dhaka in 2012 to invite then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the D-8 Summit.
