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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government dispatched its 21st consignment of relief items from the eastern city of Lahore on Monday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a statement, reaffirming solidarity with the people of Palestine amid Israel’s military operations. 

The 21st consignment, consisting of 100 tons of relief goods, was sent via a special flight from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, the NDMA said. It added that the consignment comprises 100 tons of ration bags, cooked meals and fruit tin packs.

“So far, a total of 2,027 tons of aid has been sent through 21 consignments,” the NDMA said. 

Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain, officials and senior NDMA members attended the aid dispatch ceremony at the airport. The minister appreciated the efforts of the NDMA and other welfare organizations for ensuring the timely dispatch of the aid.

“He reaffirmed that Pakistan stands with the people of Palestine in this difficult time and will continue to make every possible effort to meet their needs,” the NDMA said. 

Pakistan’s 19th consignment of relief items for the people of Gaza arrived at Egypt’s EL Arish International Airport on Sunday. Pakistan has been repeatedly dispatching humanitarian relief items to Gaza, which has been reeling from food shortages and starvation, according to the global hunger monitor Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). 

Last Friday, the IPC warned that northern Gaza is suffering from famine, adding that it is projected to spread to central and southern areas of the territory by the end of September.

Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, Pakistan has repeatedly raised the issue of Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza at the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other multilateral platforms and demanded international powers and bodies stop Israeli military actions in Gaza. Israel’s military offensives have killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them civilians, since October 2023, as per figures from the health ministry in Gaza.

Islamabad also called on the international community to force Israel to allow uninterrupted access to humanitarian supplies for the people of Gaza. 

ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistani officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Commerce Minister Jam Kamal, wrapped up high-level visits to Bangladesh last week as both nations seek to mend decades of strained ties. 

The trips saw multiple agreements signed, including a visa waiver for diplomats, the establishment of a joint working group on trade, and cooperation between foreign service academies, with discussions centered on boosting economic cooperation and investment.

“In all his engagements, the DPM/FM expressed Pakistan’s strong desire to forge a brotherly relationship with Bangladesh for the mutual benefit of the people of the two countries,” Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement on Monday, following the conclusion of Dar’s two-day visit from Aug. 23–24.

During his meetings with Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain, Dar discussed bilateral relations, trade, people-to-people contacts, cultural exchanges, and cooperation in education, humanitarian issues, and sports. 

He also met opposition leaders, including Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Khalida Zia and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr. Shafiqur Rehman.

“The two sides emphasized the need for sustaining the existing momentum of positive developments in bilateral relations,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Sunday. “In that connection, they agreed to focus on regular institutional dialogue, early finalization of pending agreements and MoUs, and enhanced cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, education, capacity building, and connectivity.”

Commerce Minister Jam Kamal, who spent four days in Dhaka, met with business leaders across sectors during visits to Bangladesh’s Chambers of Commerce and Industries. His trip concluded with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the Joint Working Group on Trade.

The visits mark an effort by Islamabad and Dhaka to reset ties after decades of bitterness rooted in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence, which ended 24 years of the two countries existing as one. 

Analysts say the 2024 ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, under whose government Dhaka leaned more heavily toward Pakistan’s arch rival New Delhi, has helped create space for closer engagement between Pakistan and Bangladesh.