High Level Visits/Contacts
Over the past many years, exchange of visits at the leadership level have been few and far between. Additionally, due to fluid political situation and uncertainty in Nepal, other bilateral exchanges have also remained limited. Rapid changes in ministerial portfolios in Nepal and the resulting indecisiveness were the main reasons for the hiatus in high level exchanges. On our side too, there has not been much enthusiasm for greater interaction at different levels. However, it can be safely said that contacts at the leadership level have all along remained minimal. Meetings between the leaders of the two countries, on the sidelines of important international meetings, have also been unable to add any positive impact on bilateral relations.
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz visited Kathmandu in November 2004 as Chairman of SAARC. He also met King Gyanendra on the sidelines of the 13th SAARC Summit in Dhaka in November 2005. Former President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf met King Gyanendra on the sidelines of the Afro-Asian Summit in Jakarta in April 2005. Former Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey visited Pakistan in October 2005. General Pyar Jung Thapa, the then Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) visited Pakistan in December 2005. Former Commerce Minister of Pakistan Humayun Akhtar Khan led the Pakistan delegation to the second meeting of the SAFTA Ministerial Council (SMC) in Kathmandu in February 2007. Former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nawabzada Malik Ahmad Khan, met Nepalese Foreign Minister on the sidelines of 31st SAARC Council of Ministers meeting in Colombo in February 2009. The two Ministers agreed on the need to increase bilateral interaction through high level exchanges and strengthening of bilateral trade. The Nepalese Foreign Minister promised to examine Pakistan’s earlier request for an extradition treaty between the two countries. Foreign Secretary Mr. Salman Bashir visited Kathmandu from 27-29 June 2009 to hold bilateral consultations with his Nepalese counterpart, Mr. Gyan Chandra Acharya. Both Foreign Secretaries exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest and agreed to further enhance their consultations and coordination in the regional and international fora. During the visit, Mr. Salman Bashir also called on the Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Foreign Minister Ms. Sujata Koirala. Subsequently, Pakistan suggested holding the 4th round of bilateral consultations in March 2013. However, the proposed meeting had to be postponed upon Nepal’s request. The then Prime Minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani visited Nepal in 2010 (26-27 April) on his way to the SAARC Summit in Bhutan. Although it was a short visit, as he was in transit, just for a day, Pakistan’s Prime Minister held meetings with President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and discussed bilateral matters and regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif met his Nepalese counterpart, Sushil Koirala on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, 2014. During their meeting the two Prime Ministers exchanged views on regional and international issues and emphasized upon the need to further strengthen bilateral relations. While the Nepalese Prime Minister appreciated Pakistan’s provision of scholarships, under the Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme (PTAP), the two leaders stressed upon the need to bring about early implementation of the decisions arrived at 6th meeting of the Pakistan-Nepal Joint Economic Commission.
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif paid a two-day visit to Nepal and attended the 18th SAARC Summit, held in Kathmandu from November 26-27, 2014. During his stay in Nepali capital, the Prime Minister held meetings and deliberated with other SAARC leaders on a wide range of regional subjects. In his interaction, he highlighted the need to further deepen relations among SAARC member states and urged the leaders to turn the SAARC vision into reality. The Prime Minister called for the early conclusion of the negotiations on the various SAARC projects, particularly in trade and commerce, in order to enable the people of the region to derive benefits of cooperation. On the margins of the SAARC Summit, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had useful meetings with other South Asian leaders. He held meetings with the Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. Sushil Koirala, President of Sri Lanka, Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Maldives, Mr. Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, Prime Minister of Bhutan, Mr. Tshering Tobgay and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Ms. Sheikh Hasina. He also held a meeting with the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, while at the retreat. Apart from discussing SAARC related matters and the need to make the regional organization more vibrant and action-oriented, our Prime Minister reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral engagements with his interlocutors. He expressed Pakistan’s strong desire to further strengthen bilateral relations and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to realize the full potential of our bilateral relations with our regional partners.
Finance Minister Mr. Mohammad Ishaq Dar led a delegation of senior officers of the Ministry of Finance for the 7th SAARC Finance Ministers Meeting held in Kathmandu from 19-20 August, 2015. Advisor to the Prime Minister Mr. Sartaj Aziz visited Kathmandu during the SAARC 37th Council of Minister meeting 17 March 2016 and held bilateral meetings with Nepal’s former Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa and former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.