KARACHI, Pakistan 

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said Ankara and Islamabad need to work together to achieve the annual target of $5 billion in bilateral trade. 

In a meeting with Turkish Ambassador Mehmet Pacaci at the prime minister's office in Islamabad, Sharif called upon the two sides to enhance their bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest including trade, defense, connectivity and culture, according to an official statement.

Pakistan and Türkiye, he said, have consistently supported each other on core issues and would continue to do so in the future.

Appreciating the congratulatory telephone call and message of felicitations from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan immediately after his re-election, Sharif congratulated Türkiye on the successful flight of homegrown 5th generation fighter aircraft KAAN.

Reiterating his invitation to Erdogan to visit Islamabad, he said the people of Pakistan looked forward to the visit that would also provide an opportunity to carry out extensive consultations during the 7th session of High Level Strategic Coordination Council.

Pacaci, for his part, congratulated Sharif on his re-election, conveyed best wishes from the leadership of Türkiye, and emphasized the importance of strengthening the fraternal ties.