Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will pay a two-day official visit to Turkiye, from today (Friday) at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a press release from Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated on Thursday.

Alongside President Erdogan, the premier will jointly inaugurate the third of the four MILGEM Class Corvette Ships for the Pakistan Navy, PNS Khyber, at the Istanbul Shipyard, the press statement added. The two leaders will also hold wide-ranging discussions encompassing bilateral relations, regional situation and other issues of common interest. The prime minister will interact with leaders of the Turkish business community.

The president of the ECO Trade and Development Bank (ETDB) will also call on the prime minister during his stay in Istanbul.

Pakistan and Turkiye enjoy fraternal ties deeply embedded in commonalities of faith, culture and history and underpinned by exceptional cordiality and mutual trust. The MILGEM project, based on joint collaboration between the two countries, represents a significant milestone in the Pakistan-Turkiye strategic partnership that continues to progress on an upward trajectory.

The launching ceremony for the first Corvette for the Pakistan Navy, PNS Babur, was performed in Istanbul in August 2021 while the groundbreaking for the Second Ship, PNS Badr, was held at Karachi in May 2022.

Frequent leadership level exchanges are a defining feature of the eternal bonds of Pakistan-Turkiye friendship. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier visited Turkiye in May-June 2022.

Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif said that he would not tolerate any laxity in the implementation of the Kisan Package announced by the incumbent government.

The prime minister, chairing a review meeting on the execution of the package, said the government was providing a subsidy on the tube wells to farmers in the flood-ravaged areas. He said the government was extending all possible support to the farmers in this distressing moment to enable them to sow the upcoming crop.

The prime minister directed the authorities concerned to use Gwadar Port for the cargo of 50% of wheat and urea as the operationalisation of the port was essential for the uplift of the Balochistan province. He also assured that the government would take all possible measures to operationalise the Gwadar Port.

During the meeting, the prime minister was briefed in detail about the implementation of the Kisan Package, tube well subsidy to the farmers in flood-hit areas, and facilitation of the farmers for the upcoming crop.