Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Pakistan-Turkey relations as “exemplary,” adding the two nations support each other on all core issues, including the disputes over occupied Kashmir and Northern Cyprus.
He made the comments in an interview with Anadolu Agency, a Turkish news organisation, ahead of his three-day visit to the country.
Today, the prime minister will fly to Turkey. During his visit, he will meet Turkish businessmen and traders, pay a visit to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Republic of Turkey’s founder, and unveil a commemorative plaque alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to mark the 75th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations.
Ankara Governor Vasip Sahin welcomed Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as he arrived yesterday.
PM Shehbaz remarked in the interview that over the past 75 years, Pakistan and Turkey have always stood by one other. “These historical ties are strongly rooted in shared religious, cultural, and linguistic ties, and they transcend political shifts on both sides.”
He said the two countries shared similar perspectives on regional and international issues and worked closely on bilateral, regional, and multilateral forums.
He also expressed gratitude to Turkey’s leadership for its unwavering support for Kashmir.
While cultural and people-to-people ties between the two nations are improving, Pakistan is now focusing on expanding economic cooperation, according to the prime minister.
انقرہ: چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی اور وزیرخارجہ بلاول بھٹو زرداری ترکی پہنچ گئے
انقرہ: وزیر خارجہ بلاول بھٹو زرداری کا انقرہ کے گورنر واصب شاہین کی جانب سے ائیرپورٹ پر استقبال@BBhuttoZardari pic.twitter.com/iJX9jb0kCx
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) May 30, 2022
“The existing level of bilateral trade does not accurately reflect the good health of our relationship.” This is also an area where both countries have a lot of potential. During my visit, I will engage with major Turkish business firms to encourage them to take advantage of Pakistan’s vast prospects in domains like as energy, infrastructure, e-commerce, municipal agro-based industry, and information technology, among others.”
India is a trade partner.
Prime Minister Shehbaz responded to a query concerning commerce with India by saying that both Pakistan and India have “a lot to gain from mutually beneficial trade.”
He remembered that Pakistan had decided to degrade relations with India after rescinding the special autonomy granted to occupied Kashmir on August 5, 2019.
“We recognise the economic benefits that can be gained from a good trading relationship with India. However, it is difficult to see progress on the commerce front in the context of continuous brutality against Kashmiris, attempts to change the demographic makeup of the occupied area, and India’s continued denial of Kashmiris’ rights.”
He went on to say that India will be responsible for normalising relations by reconsidering its August 2019 decision and providing a suitable environment for conversation.
Ties between Pakistan and the United States
When asked about Pakistan’s role in US Asia-Pacific policy, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the two countries have a “longstanding and broad-based cooperation.”
He stated that Pakistan sought to expand and broaden its relationship with the United States, noting that it was the country’s largest export market and a major source of investment and revenue.
He noted that there is a lot of room to grow the trade, commercial, and investment elements of the partnership even more.
In addition, the prime minister urged US businesses to invest in Pakistan, particularly in the information technology industry.
PTI has been invited to discuss the economic charter.
The PML-N-led coalition government, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz, does not believe in “any type of polarisation.” Except for the PTI, the present administration was made up of “nearly all” political forces from the provinces, he claimed.
“I am a firm believer in political compromise and conversation. As a result, I’ve invited all political forces, including the PTI, to sit down and agree on an economic charter. To break the boom-bust cycle and achieve economic stability in Pakistan, all political groups must agree on the minimum rules of the game that assure the continuation of economic policies and create an enabling environment.
“We are attempting to promote political debate and engagement while we are conscious of the threat of political polarisation.”
Since coming to office in April, the PML-N government’s focus has been to stabilise the economy, he said, noting that Pakistan has a number of issues, including foreign fiscal pressures, inflation, and rising food costs.
“We are paying the price for the previous government’s indecisiveness, such as the failure to acquire fuel on time and the lack of strategic stocks of key goods, which were then followed by higher-priced purchases. This had an effect on the impoverished.”
The incumbent government, on the other hand, was focused on improving socioeconomic indices, particularly for the vulnerable, he continued. He went on to say that the government was focusing on tightening monetary policy, reducing the fiscal deficit, providing relief to the poor, and establishing strategic reserves of key goods.
“We are hopeful that the IMF (International Monetary Fund) would deliver the next tranche, which will increase international market confidence in Pakistan as a destination for investment, easing the burden on foreign exchange reserves.”
