Deputy PM Dar set to visit Bangladesh, Malaysia next month 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is set to visit Bangladesh, the first such trip by a Pakistani foreign minister since 2012, signalling warming ties between Dhaka and Islamabad after Sheikh Hasina's ouster in August last year. This will reportedly be the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh since 2012, when Hina Rabbani Khar travelled to Dhaka to invite then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid for the D-8 summit. 

Deputy Prime Minister will also visit Malaysia next month. Ishaq Dar will visit Malaysia from February 3 to February 5. The Foreign Office has started finalizing matters regarding the visit to Malaysia. Dar has been invited to visit Malaysia by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. 

Ishaq Dar’s Malaysia visit aims at promoting trade, investment and economic cooperation. During the visit, there will be discussions on Pakistan-Malaysia relations, trade, connectivity, energy and agriculture. 

Speaking at a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday, Pakistan foreign minister Ishaq Dar said he would visit Dhaka in February at the invitation of his Bangladeshi counterpart. He also confirmed that Bangladesh interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus has accepted Pakistan's invitation to visit Islamabad on mutually agreed dates. 

Bangladesh has also lifted restrictions on Pakistani exports, leading to a rise in bilateral trade. Additionally, the two countries have commenced direct trade via sea routes. 

Reporter: Anwar Abbas