United News of Bangladesh

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey this week as part of a diplomatic effort to help restart talks between the United States and Iran. The visit comes just days after Islamabad hosted rare negotiations between Washington and Tehran that ended without a formal agreement. Sharif is trying to help arrange a second round of talks before a temporary ceasefire expires on April 22. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the four-day trip, beginning Wednesday and ending Saturday, will also focus on strengthening bilateral relations. During his stops in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Sharif is expected to discuss cooperation as well as regional peace and security with their leaders. In Turkey, he will attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and hold meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other global leaders. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has agreed to deposit $3 billion into Pakistan’s central bank, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said Wednesday. The funds are expected to provide crucial support to Pakistan’s economy, which has been under pressure due to regional tensions linked to the US-Iran conflict. Aurangzeb, currently in Washington, D.C. for meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, said an existing $5 billion Saudi deposit will now be extended for a longer period instead of being renewed annually. Earlier this month, Pakistani authorities said the country plans to return $2 billion deposited by the United Arab Emirates in 2019 to its central bank.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has tested positive for the coronavirus two days after he received his first vaccine dose, officials announced Saturday.

Pakistan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Ahmed Siddiqui has said his country wants to boost ties with Bangladesh by exploring untapped potential and reviving all the old connections saying Pakistan can benefit from Bangladesh’s development.