Joint strategy needed to fight terrorism: PM Shehbaz

PM Shehbaz said Pakistan is ready to provide full cooperation for the elimination of terrorism.

ISTANBUL (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is a on a two-day tour to Turkiye to inaugurate the Milgem Corvette ship, PNS Khyber. While his address on Saturday, he said that a joint strategy is needed to fight against terrorism.

In his address to the Pakistan-Turkiye business council, PM Shehbaz strongly condemned the recent terrorist attack in Turkiye which claimed precious innocent lives.

He said Pakistan is ready to provide full cooperation for the elimination of terrorism.

The Prime Minister said that terrorists have no religion, they are inhumane people. He also added that Turkiye has also been a target of terrorism like Pakistan, while Pakistan has made great sacrifices in the war against terrorism. he said that we stand with Turkiye to end the menace of terrorism. "Every section of the society sacrificed to defeat terrorism," he said.

PM Shehbaz stressed upon the Turkish companies to invest in Pakistan, as the infinite potential between the two brotherly countries should also be reflected in the bilateral trade and business.

Addressing a Turkiye-Pakistan Business Council meeting, the prime minister said his government would no longer tolerate any snags and impediments in the way of investment from the foreign investors including the Turkish brothers.

He reassured that his government would fully provide hassle and red tape free environment to Turkish investors.

He informed that during his meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it was conveyed that more Turkish companies were eager to come to Pakistan.

The prime minister said that it was regrettable that in the past regime, the Turkish companies that had invested in Pakistan were not given their due payments. Similar, was the case with the Turkish airlines operating in Pakistan.

The prime minister said such a lethargy and red tape were not acceptable to his government and the people of Pakistan as they had benefited from the Turkish investment and support.

“I want to convey this message to all, through you that we are brothers and family and will not tolerate such snags and impediments which hurt our ties,” he said, and reassured that his government would remove all the issues and address their genuine issues.

He said to further promote their bilateral trade and business relations, work on ’Trade and Goods Agreement’ between the two brotherly countries would be expedited.

He said that they had singed a MOU to enhance the bilateral trade volume upto $5 billion in the next three years.

Turkiye’s annual trade stood around $250 billion dollars and the trade between Pakistan and Turkiye was hovering around one and half billion dollars which had been peanuts while considering the immense potential, he added.

The prime minister stressed that such a scenario did not reflect their exemplary brotherly ties and stressed upon fully exploring the indefinite potential on both sides.

He said they should make efforts and endeavor to double this trade volume in the next three years with strong commitment and sincerity of purpose as ’only hard work and untiring efforts will be keys to a wonderful success story’.

Shehbaz Sharif thanked the government of Turkiye which sent 13 goods trains carrying 72,000 tons of humanitarian goods and 15 Turkish military aircraft carrying food, tents, medicines and medical teams for the recent flood affected people in Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, President Erdogan said MILGEM is one of major projects of mutual cooperation which manifests our relations with the brotherly Pakistan in defense industry.

He said we will support Pakistan’s efforts against terrorism. Talking about the huge losses faced by Pakistan in recent floods, he said his country had sent humanitarian goods and medicines for the flood affected people.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said trade volume with Pakistan has crossed one billion dollars mark.

PM Shehbaz hailed the launch of the Milgem Corvette ship, PNS Khyber, as a “great step forward” in ties between Pakistan and Turkiye.

A day earlier, PM Shehbaz and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan jointly inaugurated the third of four combat ships for the Pakistan Navy at the Istanbul Shipyard.