Bilateral ties: Turkish investment promoting development, says CM

Shahbaz inspects Turkish yellow cabs being introduced in Lahore

LAHORE:

Historic ties between Pakistan and Turkey have grown into useful economic cooperation, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Wednesday.

He was talking to a group of Turkish businessmen investing in starting a new yellow cab service in Lahore. The chief minister also inspected the cabs.

“There are deep cultural and historical relations between Pakistan and Turkey. The hearts of both peoples beat together. Several Turkish companies are investing in transport, infrastructure and other sectors in the Punjab. This has strengthened economic relations between both countries,” the CM said.

The chief minister said that projects billions of rupees had been completed in the province for providing comfortable, safe and economical travelling facilities to the people. “The metro bus service being run with the cooperation of Turkey has changed the transport culture in the Punjab. Hundreds of thousands of people are benefiting from the modern service,” the CM said.

He assured the investors that all needed facilities would be provided to them for starting the cab service. The Turkish investors thanked the Punjab government for its cooperation in starting the service. They said that the CM had played an important role in enhancing relations between Pakistan and Turkey. Khawaja Ahmed Hassaan, Mehr Ishtiaq Ahmed, the Lahore commissioner, the Punjab Mass Transit Authority managing director and the Lahore DCO were present.

World Bank president meets CM:

World Bank president Jim Yong Kim met the chief minister on Wednesday.

The target of achieving eight per cent annual growth rate has been fixed under development strategy 2018 of the Punjab. The government has also set the objective of training two million skilled workers in the next two and a half years,” he said.

The CM said that it was the government’s mission to make the province economically strong. Kim said that the Punjab government had introduced reforms in various sectors in the province and he was pleased to see positive results. “Shahbaz Sharif is actively engaged in the development of social sector. Under his leadership, the Punjab government is implementing public welfare projects with commitment,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2016.