Bangladesh seeks Pakistan apology for 1971 war crimes
10 November, 2012
DHAKA: Bangladesh's foreign minister on Friday asked his Pakistani counterpart to apologise for war crimes allegedly committed by the army during Bangladesh's bloody liberation struggle in 1971, a ministry official said. Dipu Moni made the request during a meeting in Dhaka with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar following previous discussions about the issue between the two countries, said Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes. "The foreign minister has raised the 1971 issue and expected that Pakistan would apologise at one stage," Quayes told reporters after the meeting. "There are some unresolved issues between the two governments and she expects that Pakistan would come forward to resolve them," Quayes said. Khar was on a six-hour visit to Bangladesh to formally invite Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to a summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad on November 22. "The Pakistani foreign minister said that they have regretted in different forms in the past and that it was time to move forward," Quayes said. During her visit, Foreign Minister Khar called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and extended an invitation to her to participate in the D-8 Summit being held in Islamabad on November 22, a spokesman of Foreign Office said. The foreign minister said that Pakistan greatly values its relations with Bangladesh which were based on common religion, history and traditions. End.
|
