Daily Times

Former president of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Shahid Rasheed Butt on Saturday lauded the move of the Prime Minister Imran Khan to normalise bilateral relations with Bangladesh.

The move can revive dormant South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to bring a meaningful change in the lives of two billion people living in South Asia, he said.

Shahid Rasheed Butt said that the majority of the world’s poor are living in the SAARC region, one of the least integrated areas, who deserve a better life for which the countries must bury their past like the EU, ASEAN and other countries.

He said that masses living in the region could have a break if the regional countries initiate trade which is at the lowest ebb for which cordial relations are imperative.

SAARC countries ignore trade with neighbours and prefer it with countries located thousands of miles away while excessive focus on security has resulted in poverty, illiteracy and other problems.

Earlier on Friday, Pakistan and Bangladesh agreed to strengthen existing fraternal relations between the two countries. This was agreed upon when Pakistani High Commissioner in Dhaka Imran Ahmed Siddiqui called on Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid, according to a statement issued from the Pakistani High Commission.

Sheikh Hasina expressed “good wishes” for Pakistan after she was informed that the country holds the Bangladeshi leadership and people in high esteem and affection, said the statement.