ISLAMABAD, Nov 9: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar met Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed in Dhaka on Friday to extend an invitation to her to attend a summit in the Pakistani capital on Nov 22.

According to a statement by Foreign Office, she was visiting Dhaka as a special envoy of President Asif Ali Zardari.

Ms Khar told Ms Wajed that Pakistan greatly valued its ties with Bangladesh, the statement said. The relations between the two brotherly countries were based on common religion, history and traditions.

She also pointed out that Pakistan and Bangladesh had been coordinating their positions on issues of significance at the United Nations. They had also been interacting with each other at the OIC and Saarc levels.

Ms Khar also underlined the need to translate the goodwill existing between the two countries into substantive economic, commercial, educational and cultural linkages.

Earlier, Ms Khar met her Bangladeshi counterpart Dr Dipu Moni.

During the meeting Dr Moni said Pakistan should apologise over what she called the war crimes committed by its army during Bangladesh’s liberation struggle in 1971, an official said.

About the meeting, Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes said: “The foreign minister has raised the 1971 issue and expected that Pakistan would apologise at one stage.

“There are some unresolved issues between the two governments and she expects that Pakistan would come forward to resolve them.

“The Pakistani foreign minister said they have regretted in different forms in the past and that it was time to move forward.”

Ms Khar also called on the leader of the opposition, Begum Khaleda Zia.—Agencies