Dhaka-Karachi direct flights expected to begin in January, Pak envoy tells Yunus

(Representative image)

Dhaka-Karachi direct flights are expected to begin in January, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Haider, said after meeting Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka.

Haider paid a courtesy call on Professor Yunus at the State Guest House on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing. The two sides discussed ways to expand cooperation in trade, investment and aviation, along with boosting cultural, educational and medical exchanges to strengthen bilateral ties.

The Pakistani High Commissioner stated that bilateral trade between the two countries has increased by 20% compared to last year, with business communities from both sides actively exploring new investment opportunities.

He also pointed to a rise in cultural exchanges and growing interest among Bangladeshi students in pursuing higher education in Pakistan, particularly in the fields of medical sciences, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence.

Haider noted an increase in patients travelling to Pakistan for liver and kidney transplants and said the country is prepared to offer training and academic opportunities in transplantation-related medical fields.

Professor Yunus welcomed the growing engagement between Bangladesh and Pakistan, stressing the importance of increased visits and stronger people-to-people, cultural and educational exchanges among SAARC member states. He also emphasised the need to further boost bilateral trade and expressed hope that new avenues for investment and joint ventures would be explored during Haider’s tenure.

Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to closer ties, the High Commissioner again said that direct Dhaka-Karachi flights are expected to start in January.

SDG Coordinator and Senior Secretary Lamiya Morshed was also present at the meeting.

*With ANI inputs