ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday his country wanted a “forward-looking” relationship with Bangladesh based on what unites the two nations, while calling for the revival of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation to help deliver peace and prosperity across the neighborhood.

Dar’s visit follows months of increased official contacts after ties began to ease in the wake of Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster last year in a popular uprising. Hasina, widely viewed as close to India and critical of Pakistan, fled to New Delhi soon after her downfall, straining relations between Dhaka and New Delhi.

The shift also created space for Bangladesh and Pakistan – once a single nation until the bloody 1971 war of independence – to reset relations.

Dar, who arrived in Dhaka earlier today, is on the highest-level trip by a Pakistani official to Bangladesh since Hasina’s ouster.

“Notwithstanding the twists and the turns of history, the people of Pakistan have fraternal sentiments toward the people of Bangladesh and hold them in the highest esteem,” he said, as he addressed a gathering at the Pakistan High Commission. “We recognize and respect the sovereign choices of the Bangladeshi nation, and believe in a future where our relations are defined not by what divides us, but what unites us.”

“I wish to underscore the strong desire of the government of Pakistan to forge a cooperative and forward-looking relationship with Bangladesh,” he added.

Dar noted the Pakistan-Bangladesh relations had seen “a number of positive developments” over the past year, citing significant progress across multiple streams of cooperation.

He pointed out that the frequency of high-level exchanges had increased, institutional mechanisms were being revived, economic and commercial ties were gaining momentum and educational and academic collaborations were being explored alongside cultural exchanges, describing the current phase as marked by “new energy and fresh enthusiasm.”

The Pakistani deputy prime minister added both countries shared common ground on several regional and international issues and reiterated support for reviving SAARC, a forum that has largely been dysfunctional since 2016, when India boycotted a planned Islamabad summit amid tensions with Pakistan.

No leaders’ summit has been held since. Pakistan’s push to revive the bloc comes as ties with India are at a low for both Islamabad and Dhaka.

“South Asia, home to nearly a quarter of humanity, cannot afford to lag behind in regional cooperation and integration,” the deputy PM said. “We are hopeful that SAARC will be reinvigorated, and our distances will shorten.”

Earlier, Dar met leaders of Bangladesh’s newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), a student-led movement that spearheaded the protests which unseated Hasina.

The party, formally launched earlier this year, has called for a “second republic” with a new constitution aimed at strengthening democracy and social justice.

Its emergence has reshaped Bangladesh’s political landscape, challenging decades of dominance by traditional parties and giving voice to younger generations.

Dar emphasized the need for greater interaction between the youth of the two countries.

As part of his outreach to political stakeholders, he also met a delegation of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the two nations.

Additionally, he interacted with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party leadership and affirmed his country’s commitment to stronger ties on the basis of mutual respect and benefit.

The Pakistan deputy PM is scheduled to meet Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and senior officials including Adviser for Foreign Affairs Md. Touhid Hossain and Adviser for Commerce SK Bashir Uddin during his two-day stay in Dhaka.