DHAKA – Pakistan’s envoy to Bangladesh confirmed Thursday that Islamabad has lifted all restrictions on visas for Bangladeshi citizens, reported Anadolu Agency.
“Pakistan has already removed all restrictions on Pakistani visas for Bangladeshi citizens,” said a statement issued by the Pakistan High Commission in Bangladesh after a meeting between Pakistani High Commissioner Imran Ahmed Siddiqui and Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam.
“The two sides agreed to intensify bilateral contacts at all levels,” the statement added.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency after the meeting, Imran Ahmed said they are waiting for the same response from the Bangladeshi side.
“Bangladesh’s restrictions on Pakistani nationals are still in place, and that is why I informed the state minister that we have already lifted all bars from our side,” he said.
The move is being seen as an ice breaker in the frosty relations between the two South Asian countries. Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan after a bloody war in 1971.
Bilateral relations between the two countries turned sour once again in 2016 surrounding Bangladesh’s trial for crimes against humanity in 1971 in a newly formed controversial tribunal.
The Bangladeshi government formed the domestic tribunal, called the International Crimes Tribunal, in 2009 for the trial of crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971 between Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) and Pakistan.
Ties between Bangladesh and Pakistan began to turn positive, however, following a rare phone call last July by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.
The top Bangladeshi leader also declared the country’s foreign policy of “friendship to all and malice to none” and assured Imran Ahmed of providing all necessary cooperation.
The Pakistani envoy also called on Prime Minister Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen in Dhaka and reportedly discussed various bilateral issues in a cordial environment.
In a separate statement issued by the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry, Shahriar was quoted as saying: “We look forward to engaging with Pakistan.”
Both sides agreed on the need to hold long-pending foreign office consultations, which were last held in 2010, it added.
Shahriar also urged Pakistan to grant access to more Bangladeshi products by utilising the existing South Asia Free Trade Agreement provisions, relaxing the negative list and removing trade barriers.
“The current trade balance tilts towards Pakistan,” he said.
During the meeting, the Pakistani side emphasised addressing all non-trade barriers in order to establish “productive commercial relations”. – Bernama, January 8, 2021
