ISLAMABAD, June 8: The leader of a 20-member Bangladeshi goodwill mission, Anwar Zahid, has expressed the desire of his country to have strongest possible ties with Pakistan, including in the defence field.

He was speaking at a reception arranged for the delegation by Nazaria Pakistan Council on Sunday evening.

“We believe in a strong Pakistan and may be the people of Pakistan would also need a strong Bangladesh at some point of time,” he said.

Mr Zahid, who is the managing-director of the Inqilab Bangladesh Television and a former information minister, mentioned a number of measures in commerce, trade as well as exchange of teachers, students and cultural troupes to foster greater understanding between the two countries.

“Exchange of teachers gives an opportunity to the teachers to spread the message of brotherhood and inculcate right values,” he added.

He said restoring trade links on a zero-tariff basis was the most important challenge, under which important items could be sorted out for exchange between the two countries and transportation cost could be reduced.

India, he added, was taking advantage of its proximity with Bangladesh and a minimal transportation cost and was exporting goods worth $3 billion to his country each year.

He said it was not possible to recall the events of 1971, during which the political map of the region had changed, but Bangladesh could still develop the closest link with the country he had come to.

He maintained that India had always spurned the right of self-determination of the people. He said it had helped his country in 1971 against Pakistan not for the love of self- determination but to dismember Pakistan. “It is a fact that in Vietnam and Afghanistan India stood not with the people but helped those who were fighting against the local population,” he added.

On the issue of Kashmir, Mr Zahid said India would never agree to the right of self-determination for the people of the valley.

He said the objective of India was to restore the map of British India, and it wanted Bangladesh’s help in fighting the people of Mizoram and Assam, to which, he added, his country could never agree. “These people are our neighbours and, besides Assam, had never been part of India before the coming of the British.”

Earlier, Federal Minister Mahmud Ali, patron of the Nazaria Pakistan Council, said the two-nation theory still held the field and was the most important document to regulate behaviour between the Muslims of the subcontinent.

Chairman CDA Abdur Rauf Chaudhry presented books on Islamabad as well as a trophy of Shah Faisal Mosque to the delegation, who were scheduled to leave for Dhaka on Monday evening.

President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce Akra Farid also presented shields of the chamber. Farrukha Khan, president and Mahmuda Kiani of the PML-Q’s women wing, presented bouquets to the delegation.

A large number of people, including Raja Tridev Roy, former foreign minister Sahibzada Yaqoob Khan, former federal minister for culture S.K. Tressler and former President Azad Kashmir Sardar Abdul Qayyum, were also present to greet the delegation.—Jonaid Iqbal