Islamabad
Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed hope that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s upcoming visit to Pakistan would prove to be another milestone in further cementing the bilateral ties and cooperation between the two countries in diverse fields.
The Turkish president is scheduled to visit Islamabad on February 13 to iron out any differences created due to PM Imran’s last minute back out of the Kuala Lampur Summit in December 2019.
Pakistan initially confirmed its participation at the summit but changed its mind after Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries voiced concerns over it. Riyadh viewed the summit as an attempt to create a new Islamic bloc.
The premier, while chairing a high-level meeting regarding the forthcoming visit on Monday, appreciated the leadership of the brotherly country for supporting in no uncertain terms Pakistan’s principled stance on the Kashmir issue, according to a statement issued by the PM Office. The two countries, the prime minister said, enjoyed brotherly ties and stood shoulder to shoulder with each other in difficult times. The meeting was attended by Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar, Advisor on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood, the federal secretaries and other senior officials. Matters pertaining to further promotion of bilateral ties and cooperation between the two countries in different sectors during the Turkish president’s visit were also discussed in details during the meeting.
