Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza has said Islamabad was willing to deepen ties with Dhaka as he met Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus here. “Our two countries will support each other,” Chief Adviser Yunus’s press wing quoted Mirza as saying during the meeting, which was held at his official Jamuna residence late Saturday.
The press wing statement said they “discussed a wide range of issues concerning Bangladesh-Pakistan relations, including growing importance of bilateral trade, investment and defence cooperation”. It said they exchanged views on the growing challenge of “misinformation and the misuse of social media by non-state actors to undermine peace and stability across various regions”.
“Fake news and disinformation have flooded social media. It is being used to sow chaos. There must be a concerted global effort to combat this menace,” the statement quoted Yunus as saying to the Pakistani military leader. According to the statement, Mirza emphasised the shared historical, cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries and expressed Pakistan’s desire to strengthen cooperation in multiple sectors.
Mirza noted that a two-way shipping route between Karachi and Chittagong was operational while a Dhaka-Karachi air route was expected to open within months. The press wing said both sides also underscored the need to de-escalate tensions in West Asia and Europe. According to the statement, Yunus’s National Security Adviser and ex-diplomat Khalilur Rahman, Senior Secretary and SDG Coordinator Lamiya Morshed, and Pakistan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider were present during the meeting.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia on Monday to participate in the ninth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9), the Foreign Office announced on Sunday. The conference will be held from October 27 to 29 in the Saudi capital Riyadh. According to the Foreign Office (FO), the Prime Minister will lead a high-level delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, to the FII9.
The FII9 will convene global leaders, investors, policymakers, and innovators to explore the theme “The Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth.” During his stay, Sharif will engage with the Saudi leadership to explore avenues for enhanced cooperation in the trade, investment, energy, and human resource sectors.
“The discussions will also cover regional and global issues of mutual interest and concern,” the FO said. On the sidelines of FII9, Sharif will also interact with leaders from other participating countries and heads of international organisations. This visit underscores Pakistan’s commitment to advancing economic diplomacy and fostering strategic partnerships in investment, technology, and sustainable development, the FO said.
