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Kathmandu, Aug 25: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is currently visiting Bangladesh, marking the first official trip by a Pakistani foreign minister since 2012. The last visit was made by Hina Rabbani Khar in 2012. Dar arrived in Dhaka on Saturday for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening ties with Bangladesh after the fall of long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

During his visit, Dar met Bangladesh’s interim government chief Mohammad Yunus. Both leaders stressed the need to improve Bangladesh–Pakistan relations and to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Yunus expressed support for promoting SAARC and said he would prioritize relations with SAARC nations, including Pakistan. Acknowledging the sensitivity of issues linked to the 1971 war, he emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation in cultural exchange. He remarked that when Pakistani singers perform in Bangladesh, people welcome them, and such sentiments should be encouraged further.

Dar conveyed greetings on behalf of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying Pakistan wants to revive its old ties with Bangladesh, noting that both economies are complementary. “We can work together in many areas,” he said.

Dar also met Bangladesh’s interim foreign affairs adviser M Touhid Hossain, where Dhaka raised the long-standing demand that Pakistan apologize for the 1971 war atrocities. Hossain told reporters that Bangladesh had pressed for an apology and settlement of unsettled issues like property claims. He noted that while such issues cannot be solved in a day, both countries had presented their positions and agreed to move bilateral relations forward through dialogue.

Dar responded by saying that issues related to 1971 had already been resolved twice, first in 1974 and later in 2000 during former President Pervez Musharraf’s visit to Bangladesh. Hossain confirmed that one agreement and five memorandums of understanding had been signed between the two countries, with consensus to handle historical disputes through talks and strengthen bilateral ties.

Dar also met leaders of the National Citizens Party (NCP), born from the student movement that led to Sheikh Hasina’s fall.

This is not the first time Bangladesh has raised the unresolved 1971 issue. In April this year, during foreign secretary-level talks held after 15 years, Bangladesh urged Pakistan to formally apologize for the atrocities and settle pre-independence property-sharing disputes.

Dar further held meetings with former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, and government advisers on energy and commerce.

Key points of discussion between Bangladesh and Pakistan included boosting trade, education, youth programs, and cultural exchange. Both sides agreed that SAARC must be revived to strengthen regional cooperation. They also discussed improving connectivity through shipping and air travel. Fly Jinnah is expected to launch direct flights in October, with Pakistan International Airlines also likely to resume flights soon.

People’s News Monitoring Service