Pakistani foreign minister on first official visit to Dhaka in 13 years

Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar departed for an official two-day trip to Dhaka on Saturday, marking the first state visit by a foreign minister to Bangladesh in 13 years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, Report informs.

Dar embarked on a “historic visit to Bangladesh” today, the FO said on X, as the deputy premier departed from the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi. “In Dhaka, he will hold important meetings with Bangladeshi leaders,” it added.

“The visit is a significant milestone in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations as a Pakistani foreign minister is visiting Bangladesh after a gap of around 13 years,” the MOFA highlighted.

The last time a foreign minister paid an official visit to Dhaka was in November 2012, when Hina Rabbani Khar made a six-hour visit to Bangladesh to formally invite then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina to a summit in Islamabad later that month.

During his trip, Dar will hold important meetings with various Bangladeshi leaders, including Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Adviser for Foreign Affairs Touhid Hossain, according to a statement by the MOFA.