Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is leaving for Turkey today on a three-day visit at a time when Turkey itself is going through the most severe economic crisis.
Sources said during the three-day visit, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif will have a one-on-one meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whereas, talks will also be held at the delegation-level.
The two leaders will also address a joint press conference and the heads of Turkish companies will also meet PM Shehbaz Sharif. President Erdogan will also host a dinner in honour of the premier.
The foreign ministry confirmed that PM Shehbaz Sharif would visit Turkey which is his first visit to Ankara since assuming office last month.
Sharif will also attend the Pakistan-Turkey Business Council Forum organized in collaboration with the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board.
During the visit, the premier will highlight the vast potential for investment in Pakistan and encourage Turkish companies to invest in Pakistan and strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties.
It may be noted that former prime minister Imran Khan had paid a two-day visit to Turkey in January 2019 where he met Turkish President Erdogan and other senior government officials in Ankara.
This month, Shehbaz Sharif had visited Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after assuming the Prime Minister’s office, with the aim of seeking economic cooperation from oil-rich countries and further strengthening bilateral ties.
Speaking to Reuters in the context of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan had said that the process of expanding the $3 billion deposit to the government of Pakistan was being finalised.
Political analysts said that the premier’s visit to Turkey is taking place at a time when Turkey itself is going through a severe economic crisis and Ankara is suffering from a complete recession and inflation is on the rise.
They said that unemployment is continuously increasing in the country. They added that nowadays, there is a campaign launched against Pakistanis in Turkey. In such a situation, it is questionable how fruitful the visit of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif can be.
Commenting on the advertisements published in the newspapers regarding PM’s Turkey visit, analysts said that the federal government has spent millions on the advertisement of the premier’s foreign visit, increasing the burden on the national exchequer despite being unaware of the outcomes of the upcoming visit and whether it will be fruitful or not.
