Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for Turkiye on Sunday afternoon as he embarked on the first leg of his four-nation tour aimed at strengthening ties with the friendly countries. The premier will visit Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan from May 25-30, according to the Foreign Office. The tour follows diplomatic support voiced by three of these countries for Pakistan during the recent military confrontation with India.
The prime minister is accompanied by Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
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During the visit, PM Shehbaz will have “wide-ranging discussions with the leaders of these countries on an entire range of issues covering bilateral relations and matters of regional and international importance”, according to the FO. “He will also have the opportunity to express the deepest appreciation and acknowledgement for the support extended to Pakistan by the friendly countries during the recent crisis with India,” it noted. While in Tajikistan — likely the last leg of his tour — the premier will also attend the International Conference on Glaciers being held in its capital, Dushanbe, on May 29 and 30. As tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi escalated, with India launching deadly strikes on Pakistan on May 6, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had conveyed his solidarity to the prime minister and said it supported Pakistan’s “calm and restrained policies”. Following the tit-for-tat airbase attacks and a US-brokered ceasefire between the two neighbours, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev had “warmly congratulated PM Shehbaz upon Pakistan’s remarkable success”, according to the PM Office. Iran had also offered to mediate during the escalation and paid a visit to both Islamabad and New Delhi in peace efforts, which were appreciated by PM Shehbaz and the military’s spokesperson. The diplomatic support voiced by Turkiye and Azerbaijan stoked anger in India as people cancelled their holidays in popular resorts in the two countries. The moves intensified as Adani group-operated Mumbai and Ahmedabad airports ended the ground handling concession agreements with Çelebi, an Istanbul-headquartered airport. Small Indian grocery shops and major online fashion retailers also began a boycott of Turkish products ranging from chocolates, coffee, jams and cosmetics to clothing.
