ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson recently acknowledged that some “outstanding issues” between Islamabad and Dhaka were discussed this week amid reports of Bangladesh seeking an apology from Pakistan over alleged war crimes committed in 1971.
Bangladesh and Pakistan were two parts of the same country from 1947 till 1971 till the former seceded after a bloody war. Bangladesh says about three million people were killed and thousands of women were raped during the war by Pakistani soldiers, allegations that Islamabad rejects.
Pakistan and Bangladesh started their first Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in 15 years in Dhaka on Thursday, signaling a thaw in relations long strained by historical grievances and regional alignments. Responding to a question about Dhaka seeking an apology from Pakistan for the alleged massacre in 1971 during the recent talks, Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said a “torrent of fake news or sensational news” was trying to undermine ties between the two nations.
“Some outstanding issues were indeed discussed during the consultations,” Khan said during the weekly press briefing on Friday.
“However, both sides stated their respective positions on them in an environment of mutual understanding and respect.”
He said the discussions were held in a “cordial and constructive” manner, saying that talks between the two sides being held after a gap of 15 years was a testimony to the existing goodwill and cordiality between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The latest meetings between Pakistani and Bangladeshi officials come amid significant political shifts in Bangladesh following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid in a popular student uprising last year.
Hasina’s government was hostile toward Pakistan but closely allied with India, where she remains exiled. While her removal from office was followed by the cooling of relations between Dhaka and New Delhi, exchanges with Islamabad have started to grow.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to visit Bangladesh at the end of the month, the first such visit by a Pakistani foreign minister since 2012.
Pakistan admits ‘outstanding issues’ discussed with Bangladesh amid reports of Dhaka seeking 1971 apology
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Pakistan admits ‘outstanding issues’ discussed with Bangladesh amid reports of Dhaka seeking 1971 apology
- Media reports claim Bangladesh sought apology from Pakistan for alleged 1971 war massacre in talks held this week
- Pakistan foreign office says both sides stated their respective positions in “environment of mutual understanding, respect”
Pakistan Cricket Board approves stadium upgrades, targets PSL matches in new regions
- PCB is working to stage T20 league matches and future international games at Muzaffarabad Stadium
- It reviews the success of PSL roadshows in London and New York to boost the league’s global profile
KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has approved major upgrades to stadiums in Karachi and Lahore and cleared plans for a new state-of-the-art venue in Islamabad, as it looks to expand the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and spread top-level cricket to new regions, officials said on Tuesday.
The decisions were taken at a video-link meeting of the PCB Board of Governors chaired by Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, which formally approved the second phase of renovation of Karachi’s National Stadium and the upgrading of the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground along the lines of England’s Oval.
Pakistan has stepped up investment in cricket infrastructure in recent years as it seeks to strengthen its domestic system, attract international events and grow the PSL, its premier T20 league, into a more geographically inclusive and internationally visible league.
“We are making every effort to stage PSL 11 matches at Muzaffarabad Stadium and to host international matches there as well,” Naqvi said, according to a PCB statement.
The board also endorsed plans to construct a modern cricket stadium in Islamabad, while officials briefed the meeting on preparations for future International Cricket Council (ICC) men’s and women’s tournaments and efforts to strengthen domestic cricket at the grassroots level.
The meeting also reviewed the success of recent PSL promotional roadshows in London and New York, which the PCB sees as part of a broader push to position the league as an international brand and attract overseas audiences and investment.
