Pakistan Prime Minister is travelling to four "friendly" nations following the conflict with India
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is on a four-country tour of his 'friendly' nations following the standoff with India. He visited Turkey on Sunday and met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Pakistan state television PTV News quoted Erdogan as saying that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Army Chief Asim Munir and Information Technology Minister Ayatollah Tarar were present in the meeting. One of the issues of discussion in the meeting was India.
Erdogan's Steadfast Support for Pakistan
Turkey stood with Pakistan without any hesitation during India-Pakistan tensions. Shahbaz thanked Erdogan for that. Following the meeting, he posted on social media, "Meeting with my dear brother Erdogan in Istanbul. He had strong support for Pakistan during the recent India-Pakistan conflict. I thanked him for that. On behalf of the Pakistanis, I extend my greetings to our brothers and sisters in Turkey."
Strengthening Bilateral Ties: Trade and Investment
Bilateral ties between Pakistan and Turkey were also talked about between Erdogan and Shahbaz. In a tweet by the Pakistani Prime Minister's account, "We discussed progress in different bilateral matters including trade, investment. We will continue to labor to strengthen even further the unbreakable connection between Pakistan and Turkey. Long live Pak-Turkey friendship."
India-Pakistan Tensions and Turkey's Stance
It should be mentioned that India-Pakistan relations have worsened after the Pahalgaon attack of April 22. India has made various attempts accusing Pakistan of this attack. Some terror camps in Pakistan have been destroyed in 'Operation Sindoor'. Thereafter, there has been a Pakistan-India confrontation for four consecutive days. On May 10, the two nations agreed to a ceasefire. During this time, Turkey openly supported Pakistan. Following their position, India withdrew the 'security clearance' of the Turkish firm Celebi Aviation Services India Private Limited.
Pakistan PM's Regional Diplomatic Tour
Apart from Türkiye, the Pakistani Prime Minister will visit Iran, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.
