Pakistan, Turkey to cement inter-parliamentary ties

KARACHI, Pakistan

The Turkish and Pakistani parliaments on Tuesday inked a protocol to strengthen inter-parliamentary relations between the two countries.

The protocol was signed in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on the sidelines of the second General Conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of Economic Cooperation Organization (PAECO) by Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop and Asad Qaiser, speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, said a statement by the office of the National Assembly speaker.

According to the protocol, the two parliaments agreed in principal to exchange information and views on matters related to the bilateral relations as well as on regional and international matters.

It was further agreed that both parliaments would also support and encourage reciprocal visits and contacts between delegations of lawmakers, and enhance contacts between Standing Committees of the Parliaments.

Strengthening the Inter-parliamentary Friendship Groups of Pakistan and Turkey has also been part of the protocol.

The protocol will come into effect on the date of its signature and remain in force for an indefinite period of time unless terminated by either parliament, the statement added.

Qaiser thanked Ankara for its invariable support to Islamabad on all the regional and international forums.

Talking to his Pakistani counterpart, Sentop said that exploring possibilities of mutual cooperation amongst the regional states is imperative for progress and prosperity.

He added that Cyprus, Palestine and Kashmir are the issues that Turkey prioritizes regarding international relations and Turkey would always extend its diplomatic and moral support for their peaceful resolution.

Emphasizing that the Turkish state stands by the nation of Kashmir as always, Sentop said: "Turkey wants the Kashmir issue to be resolved through dialogue between Pakistan and India, on the basis of relevant UN resolutions and considering the expectations of our Kashmiri brothers."

*Dilan Pamuk contributed to this story from Ankara