Khalid Sibtain
Islamabad: About his visit to Turkiye, the prime minister said that it provided them a wonderful opportunity to renew their brotherly ties and thanked President Erdogan for according them a warm welcome in their second home Turkiye.
About his meeting with Turkish president, he said that they held very productive and fruitful consultations to further strengthen the bilateral trade and defence cooperation and cited that the launching of MILGEM Class Corvette for Pakistan Navy, reflected the joint cooperation between the two countries.
He said one vessel was launched in Karachi and the second here in Istanbul, terming the launching events as ‘One of the finest moments in our fraternal ties to strengthen our defence production and joint cooperation’.
The prime minister, also strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Istanbul, and extended deep condolences for those Turkish brothers and sisters who had lost their family members in the barbaric incident.
Expressing sympathies with the bereaved families, he prayed for the eternal place of the departed souls in Jannah.
The prime minister said Turkiye like Pakistan, had been victims of terrorist attacks and commended the Turkish authorities for arresting the terrorists immediately. The terrorists, he said, had no religion and were not human beings.
The prime minister underlined the need for all the peaceful international community to act together against the menace of terrorism with strengthened support and cooperation.
He said Pakistan had defeated this menace and, in this process, the armed forces, law enforcement agencies and civilian had offered huge sacrifices to defeat them.
The prime minister also expressed his gratitude to the president of Turkiye and his people, for helping Pakistan in the recent floods that had devastated a large population.
About 33 million people were affected by the merciless floods, millions of houses were completely or partially damaged. A total of 1700 people including children were dead, he added.
The prime minister said President Erdogan had called him and an air bridge was established between the different cities of the two countries. Trains loaded with relief goods for the flood affected people were sent on almost daily basis.
He said the president and the people of Turkiye had been in the forefront to assist millions of Pakistani people marooned in the flood waters.