Pakistan and Bangladesh discuss ‘regional stability’

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday dialled Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossein, apprising him of the escalating tensions with India while sharing concerns about “regional stability and security”.

As per details, Dar shared Islamabad’s case on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, denying India’s claims that led to unilateral actions on both sides, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

Touhid Hossein emphasised on the need to exercise patience and stressed on the urgency of de escalating tensions between the two countries in order to maintain regional peace.

Both sides also expressed their commitment to further expand and bolster bilateral relations through cooperation in regional and international forums.

Pakistan’s growing closeness to Bangladesh after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina government in Dhaka last August is being seen as a major opportunity for Islamabad to have Bangladesh on its side for further support and cooperation.

“In the current scenario, Islamabad’s biggest support base is China. Regionally, the other support will come from Bangladesh in case the conflict with India escalates into a military confrontation,” said Kamran Yousaf, a senior geopolitical analyst.

Pakistan has been reaching out to various countries in an attempt to gather support against India even as both countries continue to take steps towards what could turn out to be a major confrontation.

“Pakistan is gathering support against India including a diplomatic effort to use global players like the United States to intervene and use their influence to push New Delhi towards de-escalation, especially on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) issue, which is the top priority for Islamabad,” added Yousaf.

Pakistan has maintained that it has no direct or indirect involvement in the Pahalgam incident and called for a neutral and credible investigation into the allegations levelled by India.

Islamabad has also warned that any Indian attempt to block its waters will be considered as an “act of war” with the country’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif threatening to blow up any new construction done by India to divert its waters.

IANS