Pakistan keen on stronger ties with Bangladesh

Bengali leaders contributed the most to the creation of Pakistan, says Pak foreign secretary

Stressing that the people of Bangladesh and Pakistan have a common history, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua has said Islamabad is keen on forging stronger ties with Dhaka. “Bangladesh relations with Pakistan should be as important as with India as we share the same region,” she said. “We have a common history. Our leaders fought together for independence of our people and this is the legacy in which we are bound together,” she said during a meeting with a visiting Bangladeshi media delegation at the foreign ministry in Islamabad on Monday. Referring to the Bangladesh War of Liberation in 1971, she said that mistakes have been made in the past that led to great pain and sufferings on both sides. “We may have a painful past and great suffering for the people…   the lack of a political solution between the East and the West caused the division. But the more pulling at the wounds, it gets more difficult to move forward…    We take pride in Bangladesh achievements and progress. There is love and affection for Bangladeshi people in Pakistan and we should address different and powerful paths of fostering the relations between the two brotherly countries and its people,” she said.
The Pakistan foreign secretary said the Bengali leaders contributed the most to the creation of Pakistan.
“History of Bangladesh began in 71, but for the people, before, that was Pakistan and before then, we fought together against the British,” she added.
In response to a query about Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said, “We view him as a leader of Bengali people who had a different view about East and West Pakistan and we are happy to see Bangladesh has prospered. Sheikh Mujib was a Pakistani leader before the creation of Bangladesh. We all made mistakes and that is why we were separated. He was also positive about

developing relations with Pakistan and that is why he visited Pakistan in 1974,” she said.
“We don’t have any negative views about him and if anyone holds a negative view about Sheikh Mujib, it is not reflective of the pain and sufferings of the people,” she added.
The Pakistan foreign secretary said people of the two countries are closely linked and one example of that closeness is the mutual support of our cricket teams. “Pakistan and Bangladesh have always supported each other at international level, and the countries mean well for each other, so we shouldn’t have ups and downs in bilateral relations,” she said. Stressing the importance of focusing on progress, she said, “Let’s not put the pain and sufferings in the minds of the youth because we have greater challenges like making economic progress, poverty reduction, education and others. So, we all must act responsibly towards the people. Even in 10, 20, 30 years, we will be in the same region, so it is important that we as a region come to work together towards progress and prosperity.”

 

Pakistan keen on stronger ties with Bangladesh

Bengali leaders contributed the most to the creation of Pakistan, says Pak foreign secretary

Stressing that the people of Bangladesh and Pakistan have a common history, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua has said Islamabad is keen on forging stronger ties with Dhaka. Bangladesh relations with Pakistan should be as important as with India as we share the same region, she said. We have a common history. Our leaders fought together for independence of our people and this is the legacy in which we are bound together, she said during a meeting with a visiting Bangladeshi media delegation at the foreign ministry in Islamabad on Monday. Referring to the Bangladesh War of Liberation in 1971, she said that mistakes have been made in the past that led to great pain and sufferings on both sides. We may have a painful past and great suffering for the people the lack of a political solution between the East and the West caused the division. But the more pulling at the wounds, it gets more difficult to move forward We take pride in Bangladesh achievements and progress. There is love and affection for Bangladeshi people in Pakistan and we should address different and powerful paths of fostering the relations between the two brotherly countries and its people, she said. The Pakistan foreign secretary said the Bengali leaders contributed the most to the creation of Pakistan. History of Bangladesh began in 71, but for the people, before, that was Pakistan and before then, we fought together against the British, she added. In response to a query about Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said, We view him as a leader of Bengali people who had a different view about East and West Pakistan and we are happy to see Bangladesh has prospered. Sheikh Mujib was a Pakistani leader before the creation of Bangladesh. We all made mistakes and that is why we were separated. He was also positive about developing relations with Pakistan and that is why he visited Pakistan in 1974, she said. We dont have any negative views about him and if anyone holds a negative view about Sheikh Mujib, it is not reflective of the pain and sufferings of the people, she added. The Pakistan foreign secretary said people of the two countries are closely linked and one example of that closeness is the mutual support of our cricket teams. Pakistan and Bangladesh have always supported each other at international level, and the countries mean well for each other, so we shouldnt have ups and downs in bilateral relations, she said. Stressing the importance of focusing on progress, she said, Lets not put the pain and sufferings in the minds of the youth because we have greater challenges like making economic progress, poverty reduction, education and others. So, we all must act responsibly towards the people. Even in 10, 20, 30 years, we will be in the same region, so it is important that we as a region come to work together towards progress and prosperity.