ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bangladesh sig­ned their first trade agreement here this evening [April 30] — enabling the business houses of the countries, in the private as well as public sectors, to trade in any commodity they like, within the frame-work of the import and exp­ort policies of their respective Govern­ments. … A memorandum of understanding covering shipping arrangements between the two countries was also signed… . The two sides … appreciated that there was immediate need for banking arrangements between the two countries to fulfil the ... objectives of the trade agreement.

[As per a separate report from Islamabad,] Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Minorities and Overseas Pakistanis Maulana Kausar Niazi has categorically denied that any Pakistani, Ahmadi or otherwise, is in Israel. The Pakistan passport is not valid for travel to Israel, he pointed out. The Minister, in a statement … said his attention had been drawn to statements and news items appearing in some sections of the Press … that a number of families from Pakistan belonging to Ahmadiya Jamaat were living in Israel and had been allowed to join … Israel Army.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2026