Saarc | Pakistan

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday met Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus during his landmark visit to Dhaka during which the latter stressed the need to revitalise regional cooperation through South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc). Ever since a popular uprising in Bangladesh saw Sheikh Hasina’s government toppled in August of last year, there has been a thaw in ties between Islamabad and Dhaka, with trade and bilateral relations seeing a marked improvement. The Foreign Office has termed Dar’s two-day visit — the first by a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh in 13 years — a “significant milestone” in the two countries’ relations. According to a post on X by the Foreign Office (FO), Dar called on Yunus and apprised him of the developments during his trip. The pair discussed “recent developments in the region and the prospects of regional cooperation”. “The discussion covered revival of old connections between the two countries, promoting youth...

• Spokesperson says Islamabad ‘committed’ to working with existing eight-nation forum • Calls upon India to choose between belligerence and talks ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday ruled out the creation of an alternative forum to the already existing South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc). “Pakistan remains committed to the principles and objectives of the Saarc charter. It has actively been participating in different Saarc activities,” the foreign office spokesperson said about the eight-nation organisation, which included Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In his weekly press briefing, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said Pakistan desires Saarc to function as an “important forum for regional cooperation”. He rejected the reports about the creation of a Beijing-led alternative to Saarc. Regarding cooperation among Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh, the member of the purported coalition, Mr Khan said China was a very important country that enjoys friendly ...