Pakistan has expressed its willingness to remain engaged with Bangladesh to address historically unresolved issues, including an official apology for the 1971 genocide, the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, and the repayment of $4.5 billion owed to Bangladesh.
“These long-standing issues must be resolved to establish a strong foundation for bilateral relations,” said Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin during a press briefing following the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between the two nations.
He emphasized that now is an ideal time to address these unsettled matters and noted that Bangladesh raised all three major concerns during the meeting.
In response, Pakistan assured Bangladesh of its commitment to continued engagement. “They said they want to remain engaged in ongoing discussions. Our purpose was to bring the issues to the table,” Jashim Uddin said.
The foreign secretary also confirmed that Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Dhaka on 27–28 April. This will be the first official visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh since 2012.
He added that there are also discussions underway to resume direct flights between the two countries.
During the visit, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch held separate meetings with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, where they discussed key areas of mutual interest.
Earlier, the Foreign Office Consultations were held at the State guest house Padma, marking the first such meeting between the two South Asian countries since 2010. Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and his Pakistani counterpart Amna Baloch led their respective delegations.
Also present at the FOC were Director General of the South Asia Wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ishrat Jahan, along with the High Commissioners of both Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The consultations were part of Islamabad’s renewed effort to bolster ties with Dhaka through dialogue and diplomacy.
