Centreline Report/DNA
ANKARA: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Istanbul, Turkiye, on Sunday evening, on the first leg of his four-nation regional tour aimed at thanking Pakistan’s allies for their support during the recent standoff with India.
Turkiye’s Minister for National Defence Yasar Guler welcomed PM Shehbaz upon his arrival at the Istanbul airport.
Meanwhile, the premier held an important meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Earlier, taking to X, Erdogan’s head of communications Fahrettin Altun said: “During the meeting, bilateral relations, regional and international issues, including the fight against terrorism, will be discussed,”
The two leaders would also discuss further expanding cooperation between Turkiye and Pakistan in diverse fields, including defence, economy, tourism, and culture.
The premier is accompanied by a delegation that includes Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi.
Besides Turkiye, PM Shehbaz would also visit Azerbaijan, Iran and Tajikistan. This multi-nation tour is expected to focus on strengthening bilateral ties and discussing regional issues.
“During the visit, the prime minister will have wide-ranging discussions with the leaders of these countries on an entire range of issues covering bilateral relations and matters of regional and international importance,” said the PM Office Media Wing in a press release.
The premier, during his visit to these countries, will have the opportunity to express the deepest appreciation and acknowledgement for the support extended to Pakistan by the friendly countries during the recent standoff with India.
He will also attend the International Conference on Glaciers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to be held on 29-30 May.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had reaffirmed his country’s unwavering support for Pakistan, assuring Islamabad that Turkey would, God willing, stand by Pakistan in both good times and bad.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan announced full support and strong solidarity with Pakistani government and people, despite boycotts by India, while Iran had extended offer to mediate and de-escalate tensions between Pakistan and India, which spiraled into worst fighting in decades.
According Foreign Office press release, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation on Saturday with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.
During the discussion, both leaders reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments. They also spoke about the forthcoming visit of PM Shehbaz to Azerbaijan.
It is pertinent here to mention that Pakistan has launched a diplomatic campaign to discuss with its friendly countries about India’s aggression towards Pakistan on unfounded allegations of the latter’s involvement in the Pahalgam attack.
At least 26 people were killed in the April 22 attack on tourists in the scenic part of IIOJK, Pahalgam. Following which, India immediately blamed Pakistan for the attack without providing a shred of evidence corroborating the claim, which has been denied by Islamabad, and launched a series of small cross border attacks before launching missile strikes inside the country.
This led to a short-lived battle between the nuclear-armed neighbouring countries, which finally stopped through intervention of the United States, as asserted by US President Donald Trump.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto will lead a high-level delegation comprising key parliamentarians to global capitals to present Pakistan’s case at the international level after the recent Pakistan-India conflict.
In a meeting with PM Shehbaz on Friday, the PPP chief thanked the premier for trusting him with this diplomatic task and entrusting him with the leadership of the Pakistani delegation.
“I hope that under your leadership, this delegation will present Pakistan’s position and narrative to the world in a comprehensive and effective manner,” the prime minister said.
