Staff Reporter
Federal Minister for Interior Brig (R) Ijaz Ahmad Shah met with the Turkish Deputy Interior Minister H.E. Ismail Gatalki at the Ministry of Interior. Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan H.E. Mustafa Ihsan Yurdakul was also present at the meeting.
“The system devised by the Ministry of Interior to control the problem of illegal immigrants is in place” said the Federal Minister for Interior, Brig (R) Ijaz Ahmad Shah during the meeting. The Turkish Dy. Minister for Interior, Ismail Gatalki said that Pakistan and Turkey have been through similar problems and that makes it more easier for us to connect not just on Government level but the people to people contact as well. He said that refugees and illegal Immigrant problems are two of the major ones faced by Turkey right now and we have a lot to learn from Pakistan. To which the Ministry of Interior delegation responded that regarding illegal immigrants from Pakistan, a detailed system to identify them has been devised that has been successfully operating. Furthermore, to ensure that no one travels without valid documents, there has been strict check on airports. Also, to eliminate the problem completely, electronic passports will soon be introduced, hopefully within this year. They added. Federal Minister for Interior, Brig (R) Ijaz Ahmad Shah said that we are very thankful to Turkey for supporting Pakistan at every forum, specifically in Kashmir issue. He also said that the visit of Turkish President was very successful, he is very popular with the masses, he added. The Turkish Dy. Minister thanked the Federal Minister for his time and also said that we hope that bilateral relations between the two countries will strengthen over time.
