Ahsan Iqbal to represent Pakistan at Bangladesh PM’s swearing-In ceremony

2026-02-16 - 04:06

ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Planning Dr Ahsan Iqbal will represent Pakistan at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s new Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, scheduled for February 17. Reports said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will not be able to attend the ceremony due to an overseas trip. PM Shehbaz is expected to visit Bangladesh soon to personally congratulate the newly elected counterpart Rahman. Heads of state from various countries, including China, Saudi Arabia, India, Turkiye, UAE, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, have been invited to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s new prime minister and parliamentarians. According to the official results released by the Election Commission of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a commanding lead in the parliamentary elections, securing 209 out of 299 seats. The Jamaat-e-Islami secured the second-largest number of seats with 68, while the student party NCP earned 6 seats. PM Shehbaz in Austria A day earlier, PM Shehbaz Sharif arrived on a two-day visit to Austria at the invitation of Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker. The premier and the Pakistani delegation were warmly welcomed upon arrival at the Vienna International Airport, and a contingent of the Austrian Armed Forces presented salute. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister are part of the Pakistani delegation. During his visit, he will hold bilateral and delegation-level meetings with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker. The prime minister and the Austrian Chancellor will co-chair a meeting of leading businessmen to increase investment between the two countries.