Pak-Turk ties guarantee economic uplift: CM

[Salman]

Pak-Turk ties guarantee economic uplift: CM

* Shahbaz Sharif says Istanbul mayor’s visit to Lahore will open new avenues of bilateral cooperation

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that implementation of joint ventures between Punjab and Istanbul would promote trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Turkey.

Talking to a Turk delegation, the chief minister said that the recent visit of Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas to Lahore would open up new avenues of bilateral cooperation and relationship between the two countries.

Sharif said that the execution of the projects of solid waste management and metro bus service in the provincial capital would bring about a positive change in the life of the citizens.

Lahore Transport Company Chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hassan and secretaries of various departments were also present on the occasion.

The chief minister said that brotherly relations between Pakistan and Turkey are fast developing into trade and economic ties and have reached the level which was desired by the people of the two countries for many decades. He said that the mayor of Istanbul has proved his deep love and affiliation for Pakistanis by announcing a gift of 100 buses for Lahoris.

He said that metro bus service is very successful in Istanbul and he had personally witnessed this fact. “Therefore, this system is being introduced in the provincial capital,” he said.

Sharif said that the new solid waste management system and the projects of cleanliness would be implemented in a transparent manner, adding that this model would be replicated in other cities of the province as well.

He said that Daanish Technical University would be established in Lahore with the cooperation of Turkey for providing modern education to the youth and. “It will supplement the efforts of the government for the promotion of vocational education,” he said.

He said that cooperation of Turkey would also be acquired for the construction of parking plazas and the Turk expertise would be fully utilised for this purpose. He said that training programmes of Punjab Police are also being arranged with the collaboration of Turk police for coping with the challenge of terrorism. He said that progress of Turkey is a role model for other countries.

The Turk delegation, while expressing its views on the fraternal relations and bilateral cooperation between Turkey and Pakistan, said that the increasing cooperation between Punjab and Turkey is beneficial for the peoples of both the countries.

Those who met the chief minister included Osman Askin, Albayrak Company Chairman Ahmet Albayrak, Haybaraccli and Qadir Nora