Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is set to visit Dhaka later this month, marking a significant diplomatic development between the two South Asian nations.
However, before Ishaq Dar’s arrival, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch will land in Dhaka on Wednesday (April 16), to lay the groundwork for the high-level engagement.
This upcoming visit by a senior Pakistani leader and diplomat has stirred interest and anticipation across diplomatic and political circles, as it will be the first visit by a Pakistani Foreign Minister to Bangladesh in over a decade.
The last such visit took place in 2012, when then Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited Dhaka in what was seen at the time as an important gesture toward rebuilding bilateral ties.
Ishaq Dar’s impending visit is being viewed as more than a mere diplomatic formality—it carries emotional and historical weight, given the complex past between the two nations. Observers are watching closely to see what this high-level engagement brings for both South Asian nations in the days ahead.
In an exclusive interview with Banglanews24 on January 19, Abdul Qayyum, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's visit to Bangladesh in April will be a goodwill mission to explore all possible avenues of cooperation between the two countries.
He also underscored the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
He underscored that the visit would focus on mutual benefits and areas of collaboration.
Highlighting the historical ties between the two nations, he said, "Bangladesh and Pakistan share deep-rooted political and religious connections. The All India Muslim League, which played a pivotal role in the creation of Pakistan, was founded in Dhaka in 1906. Both countries coexisted for 24 years and are founding members of regional and international organizations like SAARC, the OIC, and the Commonwealth of Nations. This visit by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister will be a goodwill gesture aimed at fostering cooperation."
When asked whether Pakistan views this visit as an opportunity to reset relations with Bangladesh, Abdul Qayyum affirmed that it is a crucial moment to move past historical grievances.
He blamed India for exploiting past conflicts and urged both countries to focus on economic collaboration.
He outlined key priorities for the visit, including increasing bilateral trade beyond $2 billion, resuming regular air flights, facilitating visas for tourists, signing a Free Trade Agreement, and working towards diplomatic consensus on pressing regional and global issues.
Criticizing India, he claimed that the country had never fully accepted the presence of a strong and sovereign Muslim state bordering its eastern and western frontiers.
"India has always sought to disrupt Pakistan’s relations with South Asian nations, including Bangladesh, which remains close to Pakistan due to shared faith and ideology," he said.
Addressing Pakistan’s relations with China, he said that Beijing would welcome improved Pakistan-Bangladesh ties, given that both nations maintain strong trade relations with China and are key beneficiaries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
BDST: 1502 HRS, April 16, 2025
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