Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar says that the 'unresolved issues' of 1971 between Pakistan and Bangladesh have been resolved twice, in writing and verbally.

  

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar says that the 'unresolved issues' of 1971 between Pakistan and Bangladesh have been resolved twice, in writing and verbally.

Speaking in Dhaka, he added that 'the future of both countries is very bright' and 'we should work together to do the best for the people of both countries.'

Ishaq Dar made the remarks during an official visit to Bangladesh. It is worth noting that a Pakistani foreign minister has visited Bangladesh after 13 years.

Relations between the two countries have apparently improved after the cold spell in recent years. Ishaq Dar also met Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus during this visit.

Apart from senior government officials, the Pakistani foreign minister also met members of the National Citizens Party (NCP), the student-led political party that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government.

The NCP has confirmed that it discussed the 1971 events in a meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Dhaka. After meeting Ishaq Dar on Saturday, NCP Secretary Akhtar Hussain told reporters that “the issues of 1971 should be dealt with before taking relations with Pakistan forward” and “we have raised this issue” in the meeting with Ishaq Dar.

 

Students in the NCP played a key role in the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina government in August last year.

What did Ishaq Dar say on the question of “unresolved issues”?

Speaking to reporters after meeting Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Tohid Hussain, Ishaq Dar said that “our meeting was wonderful.” We discussed cooperation in various fields including trade, economy, investment, security, mutual cooperation in defense, and signed an agreement and six MoUs.

He said, “We had consensus in our views, there was no difference of opinion between us on any issue, which is very positive.”

Ishaq Dar said, “In the future, people holding diplomatic and official passports between Bangladesh and Pakistan will not need visas.”

He said that this agreement will increase mutual visits of government officials of Pakistan and Bangladesh and they will not need to go through formalities. “As far as visas for ordinary citizens are concerned, they have already been made easy. Pakistan has greatly accelerated the visa-on-arrival or 24-hour visa process.”

He added, “We have pledged to work in harmony with each other and will also work together at international forums.” We already meet regularly at international forums and tomorrow we will both be in Jeddah for an emergency meeting.’

Ishaq Dar said, ‘This shows how much scope and potential there is for doing good for the people of both countries.’

The Pakistani Foreign Minister said, ‘We are working together to reach new heights in economic and trade relations between the two countries.’

When Ishaq Dar was asked about the ‘unresolved issues’ between Pakistan and Bangladesh during a conversation with journalists, the Foreign Minister said, ‘As far as the ‘unresolved issues’ are concerned, this issue was first resolved in writing in 1974 and this historical document is available to both countries.’

He said, ‘Later, General Musharraf came here and resolved this issue in a very open and frank manner.’

Ishaq Dar said, ‘I think after this issue is resolved between brothers, Islam also commands us to keep our hearts clean. So we should move forward and work together because our future is bright.’

He said, ‘This issue has been resolved twice, in 1974 and again in early 2000 during the visit of General Musharraf. He expressed his desire to resolve this issue on behalf of the entire Pakistan to the entire nation of Bangladesh.’

‘Therefore, according to our Islamic teachings, the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet of Islam, we should move forward with a clean heart. We are a family and we should work together so that we can do the best for the people of both countries.

Ishaq Dar said, “I, my brother Towhid and the entire team will work together to achieve the best possible results. This is the agreement and this is what we are doing.”

According to experts, the events of 1971 are standing in the way of further warming of relations between the two countries.

In April this year, Bangladesh also raised the issue in the meeting between the foreign secretaries of the two countries after almost 15 years.

After meeting the Pakistani foreign secretary in Dhaka, Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Jasimuddin said in a press conference that “along with an apology for the events of 71, we have also asked for $4.32 billion in dues after separation from Pakistan.”

Six agreements for cooperation in trade, education, media and culture

According to the Foreign Office of Pakistan, six agreements were signed between Pakistan and Bangladesh under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Bangladeshi Foreign Advisor after delegation-level talks in Dhaka today.

These include visa waiver for diplomatic and official passport holders, joint working groups and MoUs for trade and educational exchanges, media cooperation, collaboration in strategic studies and cultural exchange programs..g to strengthen and formalize bilateral relations.

According to the Foreign Office, on the occasion of Ishaq Dar’s visit to Bangladesh, Pakistan has launched the ‘Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor’. Under this project, 500 scholarships will be given to Bangladeshi students to pursue higher education in Pakistan in the next five years, out of which a quarter will be reserved for the field of medicine.

In addition, training will also be provided to 100 Bangladeshi civil servants during the same period.

According to the Foreign Office, Pakistan has also decided to increase the number of scholarships allocated to Bangladeshi students under the Pakistan Technical Assistance Program from five to 25.

‘The visit is important, but many issues still need to be resolved’

Some diplomatic analysts consider these meetings between high-level representatives of the two countries after a long time as positive for advancing Bangladesh’s relations with Pakistan.

They say that in the regional and global context, it is important to have good relations with all countries, not just Pakistan.

However, many former diplomats and international relations analysts believe that Pakistan’s stance on the alleged atrocities committed during the 1971 war of independence is also important in determining the future of Bangladesh-Pakistan relations.

Former Bangladeshi ambassador M. Humayun Kabir told BBC Bangla, “Visits of this level usually improve relations, so his visit is important from that perspective.”

According to him, these relations can improve only if the Pakistani army apologizes for the alleged atrocities in East Pakistan and an agreement is reached on the distribution of shared resources before independence.

He says, “Pakistanis must accept responsibility for the alleged atrocities committed in 1971.”

Pakistani officials have expressed regret over the issue on various occasions. But no public apology has been made for these incidents.

He said that Bangladesh had also raised the issue of forgiveness and the balance of shared resources before the war of independence in a meeting between the foreign secretaries of the two countries this year.

Former ambassador Rashid Ahmed Chowdhury also does not believe that any government can make much progress in relations with Pakistan without apologizing for the alleged atrocities of 1971.

He says, “Trade, economic relations, people-to-people contacts, they should move forward. But I think that if the unresolved issues with Pakistan are resolved, this visit will prove beneficial.”

“There is no harm in removing Bangladesh’s reservations.”

Former diplomat Aqil Nadeem says that for many years there has been an anti-Pakistan government in Bangladesh, but now relations are gradually improving.

“Every government in Bangladesh has demanded that Pakistan apologize for the events of 71.”

Aqil Nadeem says that in 2002, General Pervez Musharraf expressed regret for the events of 71 in a note during his visit to Bangladesh. At that time, Khaleda Zia was in power in Bangladesh.

He says, “This move by General (retd) Pervez Musharraf was appreciated in Bangladesh. But later, after Sheikh Hasina’s government came to power, General Musharraf’s move was deemed insufficient and Pakistan was demanded to apologize again. ‘

Aqil Nadeem says, ‘If Pakistan wants relations with Bangladesh to move forward, then there is no harm in removing their reservations. For this, the two governments should hold talks at the level of delegations.’

What has been Pakistan's stance on the issue of forgiveness?

The Pakistani government has denied allegations of 'genocide' in East Pakistan during the 1971 war.

The Pakistani government has also ignored repeated demands for an apology from Bangladesh for these events.

Pakistan had recognized Bangladesh as an independent state before the Islamic Summit in Lahore in 1974. During this time, the then Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto expressed regret for the events of 1971, but did not apologize.

In 2002, the then Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf also expressed regret for the events of 1971 during his official visit to Bangladesh. However, the then opposition parties in Bangladesh called it insufficient and demanded an apology.

,improved since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government

‘Pakistan-Bangladesh relations cannot go beyond a certain point’

Global affairs analyst Dr. Hassan Askari Rizvi says that Pakistan-Bangladesh relations can never go beyond a certain point due to the events of 1971.

Speaking to BBC Urdu, he said that ‘Awami League as well as all political parties in Bangladesh have not been able to go beyond 1971. All these parties and organizations agree that Pakistan should formally apologize for the events of 71.’

According to him, ‘The problem for Pakistan is that if it formally apologizes, then Bangladesh will not stop there. Then the issue of distribution of resources before 71 will also come up.’

Hassan Askari says that ‘The other side of the picture is that during the 71 war, non-Bengalis and people from West Pakistan were also massacred. Who will apologize for this?’

Meetings with delegations of political parties other than the Awami League

After Ishaq Dar arrived in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon, delegations from the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh also met him.

There was no word from the BNP after the meeting. However, the BNP media cell said that Ishaq Dar will meet BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday evening.

A five-member delegation from Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh also met Ishaq Dar in Dhaka.

After the meeting, the party’s deputy chief Abdullah Muhammad Tahir told reporters that matters of mutual interest, regional trade and ways to further enhance relations were discussed.

When asked about the events of 1971, he said that this is a matter for discussion between the two governments. It is hoped that the government will discuss them.

What will be the impact on the relations between Bangladesh and India?

Aqil Nadeem says that the interim government of Bangladesh has been expressing its desire for good relations with all the countries of the region, including Pakistan.

According to him, ‘Being a neighboring country, Bangladesh’s relations with India are inevitable. But there is no doubt that after Sheikh Hasina fled to India, the Bangladesh government has been expressing its displeasure with India over the statements she made from there.’

Aqil Nadeem says that during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh were very complicated and the reason for this was Sheikh Hasina’s pro-India policy.

He says that ‘Now, after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, Pakistan is taking advantage of this vacuum and getting closer to Bangladesh. ‘

According to him, ‘There is currently an interim government in Bangladesh. Now it remains to be seen what policy the government that comes after the elections will have regarding India and Pakistan.’