ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday held a telephone conversation with Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, emphasizing the importance of “revitalizing” bilateral ties and strengthening commercial and cultural relations.
The Nobel Peace Prize winning economist Yunus was sworn in as the head of the country’s caretaker government on Aug. 8, three days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to quit and flee the country following violent protests. Yunus, 84, was recommended for the role by student protesters.
Bangladesh and Pakistan have had a complicated relationship since the former was born out of a war between India and Pakistan in 1971 in which nearly three million people were killed. Its founding father and first prime minister Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, Hasina’s father, was assassinated in 1975 in a military coup which brought in a long period of military rule. Though democracy was restored slowly by 1990, the country of nearly 170 million people has been rocked by sporadic periods of sectarian or political violence in recent years.
“The Prime Minister underscored the importance of revitalizing bilateral relations through enhanced cooperation in different domains,” the foreign office said in a statement about the PM’s phone call with Yunus. “Noting the historical, religious and cultural bonds between Pakistan and Bangladesh, the Prime Minister expressed a keen desire to boost commercial relations, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts.
“Both the leaders agreed that there was a need to work closely for progress and prosperity of the people of Pakistan and Bangladesh. They further agreed that greater regional cooperation could play a vital role in uplifting the lives of the people of South Asia.”
The interim government Yunus heads is tasked with holding fresh elections in the South Asian country of 170 million people.
The student-led movement that ousted Hasina grew out of protests against quotas in government jobs that spiraled in July, provoking a violent crackdown that drew global criticism, although the government denied using excessive force.
The protests were fueled also by harsh economic conditions and political repression in the country.
Pakistani PM says important to ‘revitalize’ bilateral relations in phone call with Bangladesh’s Yunus
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Pakistani PM says important to ‘revitalize’ bilateral relations in phone call with Bangladesh’s Yunus
- Interim government Yunus heads is tasked with holding fresh elections in Bangladesh after Hasina’s ouster this month
- Bangladesh was born out of a war between India and Pakistan in 1971 in which nearly three million people were killed
Pakistan to host PSL 11 from Mar. 26 to May 3, says PCB chairman
- PSL, Pakistan’s premier T20 cricket tournament, is set to feature eight city-based teams in upcoming edition
- Pakistan Cricket Board has held roadshows in London and New York to entice investors to bid for new PSL teams
ISLAMABAD: The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be held from Mar. 26 to May 11, 2026, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Sunday.
The PSL is Pakistan’s premier T20 cricket league that features a mix of local and international players and coaches. The PSL features six teams, each named after a Pakistani city, with the upcoming edition set to feature two new teams.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, along with former cricketing greats Ramiz Raja and Wasim Akram, participated in a roadshow in New York on Sunday. The PCB has held a roadshow in London previously to attract international investors to bid for the new teams.
“I can tell you one thing that PSL will start on Mar. 26, which is very near,” Naqvi said at the roadshow.
“And the final we are planning to hold on May 3.”
Naqvi said the revised schedule for the auction of the two new PSL teams will take place on Jan. 8. The auction was originally scheduled to take place on Jan. 6; however, it was postponed by one day due to a week-long extension of the deadline for the submission of the bids for the new franchises, initially set at Dec. 15.
The PCB said this week it had pushed the deadline to submit the bids for the two new teams keeping in mind “growing interest” from investors in the US, Europe and the Middle East.
