Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed optimism that his two-day official visit to Dhaka would inject “new momentum” into bilateral relations, fostering more frequent exchanges and broader cooperation across all sectors.

In a statement released by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, Dar extended gratitude to the government and people of Bangladesh for their “warm hospitality and a highly productive visit.”

He also thanked officials of the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, and his accompanying delegation for their support.

Dar described his 36-hour visit to Bangladesh as “extremely fruitful,” noting that he held meetings with Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, as well as the heads of Bangladesh Bank, the National Board of Revenue, the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), and senior secretaries from various ministries including textiles, commerce, and civil aviation.

During his visit, six agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed between Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Dar also met BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and visited Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman at his residence to inquire about his health. On his first day in Dhaka, he held meetings with leaders of BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and attended a reception at Pakistan House.

The Pakistani foreign minister departed Dhaka late Sunday night on a Saudi Airlines flight en route to Jeddah, where he joined the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that began Monday.

This was the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh in nearly 13 years, marking what observers see as a significant milestone in bilateral relations.

sunnews/ra