1971 unresolved issue settled twice: Ishaq Dar
Published: 24 August 2025, 4:42:38
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, currently visiting Dhaka, has stated that the unresolved issue of 1971 between Bangladesh and Pakistan has been settled twice. He emphasized the need to move forward.
On Sunday (24 August) morning, Ishaq Dar held a meeting with Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Tauhid Hossain at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka. After their private discussion, delegation-level talks between the two countries took place.
Following the meetings, six agreements and memorandums of understanding were signed between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Addressing journalists at the hotel after the meeting, Ishaq Dar responded to questions regarding the unresolved issues related to the 1971 Liberation War and genocide. He said, “Regarding the unresolved issue, I want to say that it was settled for the first time in 1974. The documents from that time are historic for both countries.”
He added that the matter was addressed again when General Pervez Musharraf visited Bangladesh and publicly expressed regret, thus resolving the issue for the second time — once in 1974 and again in the early 2000s.
Ishaq Dar further remarked, “Islam teaches to purify the heart. You should purify your hearts. We must move forward.”
Ishaq Dar arrived in Dhaka on a special flight on Saturday and was welcomed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam.
On the first day of his Dhaka visit, Saturday, he met leaders of BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and NCP, and also attended a reception at Pakistan House.
On Sunday, the second day of his visit, he is scheduled to meet with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus.
