Soomro hails Turkish support for quake-affectees

ISLAMABAD: The Acting President, Mr. Mohammedmian Soomro has observed that Pakistan and Turkey enjoy special, strong and close bonds of relationship which grew stronger and stronger with the passage of time.

"We appreciate the un-daunting support extended by the Turkish Government from time to time, particularly during the recent earthquake," he made these observations while talking to a 12-member Turkish delegation comprising businessmen, industrialists, educationists, journalists and bureaucrats led by Mr. Ismail Nazli, Chairman/Country Representative of Pak-Turk International CAG Educational Foundation which called on him here Saturday.

During the meeting, the Turkish delegation expressed satisfaction that bilateral relations were going in the right direction. The members of the delegation informed the Acting President that they had come to Pakistan to offer condolences on the tragic earthquake. The delegation assured that the people of Turkey sincerely desire to help the earthquake stricken people of AJK and NWFP. Mr. Nazli said that Pak-Turk International CAG Educational Foundation is working for promoting education as a tool of human and social development for the people of Pakistan and was keen to expand its network to all the four provinces by establishing more schools and healthcare centers in different parts of the country. He further said that the Foundation will construct 10 pre-fabricated schools in earthquake hit areas which would be later on handed over to the local government.

The Acting President, Mohammedmian Soomro lauded the gesture of the Turkish people for helping the earthquake victims. He said that the special love exhibited by the Turkish people for the earthquake victims has given fresh impetus to Pakistan-Turkey relations. The Acting President told the Turkish team that Pakistan has vast investment potential and that the Turkish businessmen could benefit from the investment friendly environment provided by the Government. He pointed out that there was tremendous scope for seeking benefit from each others experience in various fields like textile, automobile industry, livestock, information technology and education. The Acting President underlined the need for imparting quality education as it would help create an atmosphere of peace and remove misperceptions about Islam and the Muslim Ummah.