August 8, 2003	Friday	Jumadi-us-Sani 9, 1424

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DHAKA, Aug 7: Dhaka has requested Islamabad for an early solution to long-standing problems of repatriation of stranded Pakistanis from Bangladesh and apportionment of pre-independence assets between the two countries in the shortest possible time.

“During my recent visit to Pakistan, we requested Islamabad for early solutions to the issues involving repatriation of stranded Pakistanis and apportionment of pre-1971 assets between the two countries,” Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary, Shamser Mubin Chowdhury, told newsmen at a briefing on Thursday. “The Pakistani authorities concerned have assured us to have further discussions over the issues.”

The foreign secretary also said Dhaka was planning to invite the Karachi City mayor to have another round of talks with the Dhaka City Mayor to settle the issue of stranded Pakistanis in Dhaka.

Some 2,50,000 Pakistanis have been residing at different refugee camps in Bangladesh since the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971. The governments of the two countries have held several round of official talks on the issue over the last three decades, without any concrete result.