Pakistan Foreign Secy Amna Baloch lands in Dhaka for talks after 15 years
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Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch arrived in Bangladeshi capital on Wednesday where she was received at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by Ishrat Jahan, director general of South Asia wing at the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
According to Bangladesh media, Amna Baloch arrived in Dhaka to join a foreign secretary-level talks between the two South Asian countries.
The talks, the first such meeting in 15 years, will take place at state guest house Padma on Thursday, with foreign secretary of Bangladesh Md Jasim Uddin leading the host delegation and Amna Baloch leading the Pakistani side.
According to the draft itinerary, Baloch will attend the high-level talks scheduled for Thursday morning. Later, she will pay courtesy calls on foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain and chief adviser to the interim government Professor Muhammad Yunus.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Jasim Uddin said the foreign secretary-level meeting is going to take place in Dhaka on 17 April. Both sides will discuss a wide range of bilateral issues, including unresolved historical matters between the two nations.
"After such a long hiatus, it is difficult to prioritize topics in advance, but the talks will be comprehensive."
Bangladesh's High Commissioner to Pakistan, Md Iqbal Hussain Khan, who is currently in Dhaka to attend the meeting, told BSS that Islamabad is particularly keen to enhance trade ties with Dhaka. "Pakistan sees potential for boosting exports to Bangladesh, especially if their products are price competitive," he said.
The envoy added that as Pakistan serves as a gateway for goods from Afghanistan and Iran, there is scope for Bangladesh to explore imports via Pakistan, provided transport costs remain low.
On the issue of direct air connectivity, High Commissioner Khan said that apart from Fly Jinnah, another Pakistani private carrier, Air Sial-based in Sialkot-has applied to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) to operate flights to Dhaka. "Fly Jinnah is currently waiting to expand its fleet before launching Dhaka operations, while Air Sial is expected to begin direct flights within two months of receiving approval," he said.
The direct air link is anticipated to boost tourism and promote greater people-to-people contact between the two countries, the envoy noted.
When asked about unresolved historical issues between the two nations, the high commissioner said such matters often persist in bilateral relations worldwide, but those should not hinder current engagement or economic cooperation.
This was the first such diplomatic meeting between the two South Asian nations in 15 years. The last secretary-level talks between Bangladesh and Pakistan were held in 2010.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, is also expected to visit Bangladesh on 27–28 April.
Relations between the two countries have been improving since the Awami League-led government fell last August following mass student-led protests. Meanwhile, Dhaka’s relations with New Delhi are on the verge of collapsing.
Reporter Anwer Abbas