Pakistan to bolster bilateral ties with Turkey in all sectors

President Alvi says there are huge opportunities to expand trade, defence and culture cooperation with Ankara

ISLAMABAD:

President Dr Arif Alvi has said that Pakistan will continue to strengthen bilateral relations with Turkey as there are huge opportunities to expand cooperation in various sectors including trade, defence and culture.

In a statement issued by the President House, he underlined the need for increased cooperation with Turkey in various fields for the mutual benefits of the two ''brotherly'' countries.

"Both brotherly countries enjoyed exemplary cooperation which needed to be further cemented in the areas of trade and defence," President Alvi said during his meeting with the visiting commander of Turkish Land Forces General Umit Dundar.

Read more: India's terrorist network in Balochistan significantly weakened: Fawad

Dundar is on an official visit to Pakistan.

Expressing satisfaction over the existing level of bilateral relations, the president said the agreement on military training cooperation between the two countries will further deepen military cooperation.

He also praised his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his contribution to the economic prosperity of his country and promoting unity among Muslim communities across the world.

The president also appreciated Ankara for its support for Islamabad in several regional and international matters, particularly on Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and lauded General Dundar's efforts to strengthen ties between the forces, and congratulated him on receiving the Nishan-e-Imtiaz military award.

Read more: PM mulls holding talks with angry Baloch

Gen Dundar, for his part, said Pakistan and Turkey are inseparable due to their long history of cooperation based on shared faith, values, and historical ties.

He noted that the Turkish people regard Pakistanis as brothers and stressed the importance of increasing collaboration in all areas, particularly in defence.

The Turkish general also expressed gratitude to the president for the award.

Earlier, the president awarded Gen Dundar with the award at a special investiture ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad, which was attended by prominent military and government figures.

Silence over illegal uranium trade in India flayed

Highlighting the current situation in IIOJK, the president said that Indian forces are committing atrocities against the people of the disputed region, especially after the revocation of special status of the Himalayan territory in August 2019.

He urged the international community to play its role to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.

He reiterated Pakistan’s concern about India's involvement in terrorism activities, using Afghanistan's soil.

"India was behind terrorism in Pakistan by providing training and funding to militants and terrorist elements," he said, adding that the recent terrorist incident in Lahore had been carried out with the support of India.

President Alvi also expressed concern over the apathy and silence of the international community over the incidents of illegal uranium trade in India.