Bangladesh reiterated demand for an official apology for the genocide in 1971 War of Liberation, repayment of $4.5 billion owed to Bangladesh and repatriation of stranded Pakistanis to normalise relations with Pakistan.
The visiting Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Amna Baloch had a meeting with her counterpart Md Jashim Uddin on Thursday.
Foreign Secretary Md. Jashim Uddin on Thursday stated that Pakistan will remain engaged with Bangladesh to resolve the historically unsettled issues including an official apology for the 1971 genocide, repayment of US$ 4.5 billion owed to Bangladesh, and the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis.
"The unsettled issues need to be resolved to put bilateral ties on a solid foundation. This is the most appropriate time to address and resolve these long-standing issues," Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin said at a press briefing following the foreign office consultations between the two countries.
Bangladesh and Pakistan held Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) at the State guest house Padma, after 15 years. The FOC on Thursday in Dhaka marks the first such meeting since 2010.
Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch led their respective delegation at the FOC.
Director General of South Asia Wing at Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Ishrat Jahan and High Commissioners of Bangladesh and Pakistan also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the Bangladesh side raised the historical unsettled issues with Pakistan. "The issues need to be resolved for having a solid foundation of our relations," Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin stressed.
In response to a query about the reply from the Pakistan side, Jashim Uddin said, "They assured them of remaining engaged with Bangladesh in the coming discussions. They (Pakistan) would like to remain engaged. Our aim was to flag the issues."
The Foreign Secretary said Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to pay an official visit to Bangladesh on April 27 to 28. Ishaq Dar's upcoming trip to Dhaka will mark the first visit by a Pakistani Foreign Minister since 2012.
Direct flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan would be launched soon, Jashim Uddin hoped.
Jashim Uddin said that the Pakistan Foreign Secretary called on Chief Adviser Prof Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain separately and discussed issues of mutual interest.
Pakistan wanted to hold the consultations with Bangladesh as part of Islamabad's efforts to strengthen the ties with Dhaka as FOC remained suspended 2010.
