2 yıl önce

Pakistan prime minister hails Türkiye ties, stresses economic cooperation

Ahead of a trip to Ankara, Shehbaz Sharif tells Anadolu Agency that Islamabad wishes to deepen engagement with the US, even as it focuses on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

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Sharif says as the prime minister of Pakistan, he would like to replicate the success his administration was able to achieve during his tenure as the chief minister of the Punjab province.

Bolstering economic partnership between Islamabad and Ankara will top Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's agenda when he arrives in Türkiye for a three-day visit from Tuesday.

"We are now focusing on economic cooperation. The current level of bilateral trade is still not a true reflection of the excellent state of our relationship," he has told the Anadolu Agency ahead of his trip, describing Pakistan-Türkiye ties as "exemplary".

While the annual bilateral trade between the two sides has recently surpassed $1 billion, Sharif believed "immense opportunities exist for both countries" when it comes to the economy.

In the exclusive interview, Sharif, who will meet Turkish businessmen during the visit, stressed that Pakistan — with a population of over 220 million — offers investors a strong market and "numerous investment opportunities".

He said that Pakistan-Türkiye ties are "grounded firmly in common religious, cultural, and linguistic links and transcend political changes." He also thanked Türkiye's leadership for its "principled support on Jammu and Kashmir dispute".

"Both Pakistan and Türkiye have a similarity of views on regional and international issues and enjoy close collaboration on bilateral, regional, and multilateral forums," Sharif, 70, said.

India must revisit Aug 5 move on Kashmir: Sharif

Sharif, who was sworn in last month after the ouster of former premier Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote, said that Pakistan is aware that both Islamabad and New Delhi "have a lot to gain from mutually beneficial trade".

"However, in the aftermath of the Indian illegal and unilateral steps of 5 Aug. 2019, Pakistan took the principled stance and curtailed a range of bilateral activities," he said, referring to New Delhi's move to do away with the disputed region's semi-autonomous status.

Calling on India to revisit its decision for mending ties, Sharif said New Delhi "must not seek further division, bifurcation, and demographic changes in the occupied territory to perpetuate its illegal occupation".

India and Pakistan both claim the divided territory of Kashmir in its entirety.

On Afghanistan — another of Pakistan's neighbours — Sharif said engagement with the Taliban government there "is not a matter of choice but a necessity", stressing that the world cannot abandon the Afghan people.

"Pakistan is also emphasising to the interim government to live up to their international commitments that the country will not be used for terrorism, that girls and women be able to pursue education, and that they form an inclusive government," he said.

He also hailed China's Belt and Road Initiative, hoping it will accelerate Pakistan's industrial and economic modernisation.

"China's investments in Pakistan's road and energy infrastructure under CPEC (China–Pakistan Economic Corridor) have helped offset the acute electricity shortfall in Pakistan."

On the US, Sharif said continued engagement between Washington and Islamabad can "promote peace, security, and development in the region", hoping to deepen bilateral relationship, including in the areas of trade and commerce.

And on the domestic front, Sharif said his coalition government has a clear agenda: revival of the economy, political normalisation through consensus-building on key issues, result-oriented governance, electoral reforms and a vision of prosperity.

SOURCE: TRTWorld and agencies