PM Shehbaz to attend inauguration ceremony of President Recap Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on 3rd June 2023: FO Spokesperson
ISLAMABAD, June 01 (SABAH): Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has said that at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will attend the inauguration ceremony of President Erdogan in Ankara on 3rd June 2023.
This was announced by FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch while addressing the weekly press briefing on Thursday. FO spokesperson said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit will be a reaffirmation of the deep-rooted fraternal ties between Pakistan and Türkiye. The Prime Minister will convey warm felicitations on behalf of the Government and people of Pakistan to President Erdogan on his re-election as President of Türkiye on 28 May 2023. The Prime Minister will also extend an invitation to President Erdogan to attend the 7th Meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) in Islamabad, she said.
FO spokesperson said that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is in Jordan to attend the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein at the invitation of the Royal family of Jordan. From Jordan, the Foreign Minister will travel to Iraq from 5th to 7th of June at the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dr. Fuad Hussein. This is Foreign Minister’s first visit to Iraq. During the visit, the Foreign Minister will meet the Iraqi leadership. In his meeting with his counterpart, the two sides will discuss a range of issues of common interest and explore avenues of bilateral cooperation.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the Foreign Minister will formally announce the establishment of Pilgrimage Centre in Karbala to facilitate Pakistani Zaireen and perform the ground-breaking of the Embassy Complex. A number of agreements are also expected to be signed related to education sector, cultural cooperation and visa facilitation.
She said that the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus, Sergei Aleinik, visited Pakistan on a 2-day official visit. In meetings with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar wide-ranging and substantive talks were held on political, economic, technological, cultural, educational and multilateral cooperation. Two agreements were signed on the occasion — Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports and Agreement between the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad and the Belarus Institute of Strategic Research.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Foreign Secretary Dr. Asad Majeed Khan is on a two-country visit to Azerbaijan and Georgia. He concluded his visit to Azerbaijan yesterday and is now in Georgia.
She said that in Baku, Azerbaijan, the two sides reviewed the multifaceted and historic ties. They agreed to further enhance the frequency of high-level exchanges and optimally utilize the existing institutional mechanisms to strengthen bilateral cooperation in all fields. It was agreed to enhance and diversify bilateral trade and expand cooperation in energy, information technology, labor mobility, agriculture, transport connectivity and education.
She said that the inaugural session of Pakistan-Georgia Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) is being held today in Tbilisi. Foreign Secretary Dr. Asad Majeed Khan and Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Khvtisiashvili are leading the respective sides. Agenda includes discussion on trade & investment, tourism, education and Information Technology (IT) and as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that we are deeply concerned over India’s latest move seeking death penalty for prominent Kashmiri leader, Muhammad Yasin Malik. Last year, Yasin Malik was awarded life sentence in a contrived case, marked by fabricated charges and denial of fair trial. He is being held in inhumane conditions in the notorious Tihar jail despite his deteriorating health. Yasin Malik is being denied access to family members, privileged access to lawyers and quality health treatment.
She said that India’s latest move is another instance of political vendetta aimed at silencing the Kashmiri leadership and intimidating the Kashmiri people. It is a manifestation of India’s unending and pervasive oppression in IIOJK where political leaders and human rights defenders are routinely incarcerated on trumped up and baseless charges.
“We urge the Indian authorities to bring an end to this farce of a trial of Mr. Yasin Malik. He must be provided quality health treatment and allowed to live freely among his people and family. India must also immediately and unconditionally release the Kashmiri leadership and human rights defenders who are being unjustly held in prisons in IIOJK and across India” she said.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch announced that Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar will undertake official visits to Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium from 5th to 13th June 2023.
“She will hold meetings at the Ministerial level to discuss political engagement and cooperation in development, trade and climate change. She will also meet lawmakers and local entrepreneurs. In Belgium, she will hold meetings with Members of the European Parliament and senior officials of the European Commission” FO spokesperson said.
In Sweden, the Minister of State will attend the Annual Meeting of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) as a key note speaker. She will present Pakistan’s perspective on issues of regional and global importance and interact with leading European decision-makers, experts, think-tanks and influencers for debates on foreign policy priorities and challenges, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said.