Monitoring Desk
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif began his four-nation diplomatic tour on Sunday with a key visit to Turkiye, where he held wide-ranging talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan aimed at strengthening strategic ties and deepening economic cooperation.
The two leaders reaffirmed their unwavering support for each other’s core national interests, including Pakistan’s stance on Jammu and Kashmir, and Turkiye’s concerns on regional security.
In a meeting held in Ankara, both sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and expressed firm resolve to elevate the strategic partnership, with a renewed focus on boosting trade and investment. They agreed to accelerate efforts to achieve the previously agreed $5 billion annual trade target.
Prime Minister Shehbaz proposed enhanced collaboration through joint ventures in priority sectors such as renewable energy, IT, defence manufacturing, infrastructure development, and agriculture.
The talks also followed up on key decisions from the 7th session of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), which took place in Islamabad earlier this year.
In a joint expression of concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, both leaders called for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access to the affected Palestinian population.
Accompanied by a high-level delegation — including Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi — PM Shehbaz also attended a delegation-level meeting alongside President Erdogan and senior Turkish officials.
The Prime Minister thanked Turkiye for its steadfast support during Pakistan’s recent tensions with India, noting the solidarity from Ankara and the Turkish people had been a source of strength for Pakistan during a critical time.
He lauded the courage and patriotism of Pakistan’s armed forces, crediting their role in securing success during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos and the decisive battle of Marak-i-Haq.
PM Shehbaz was received in Istanbul with full protocol by Turkish Defence Minister Yashar Guler, senior provincial officials, and Pakistani diplomats, including Ambassador Yousaf Junaid and Consul General Nouman Aslam.
After completing his two-day visit to Turkiye, the Prime Minister is set to visit Iran, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan, where he will hold further high-level meetings and attend the International Conference on Glaciers in Dushanbe on May 29–30.
The regional outreach comes just two weeks after a US-brokered ceasefire between Pakistan and India, following a brief military flare-up. Iran also played a mediation role during the conflict, with its foreign minister visiting both capitals.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar held a phone call with Uzbek Foreign Minister Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich to discuss progress on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project. Both sides expressed hope for early finalisation of the framework agreement and discussed regional connectivity and cooperation.
