Speaking at the Turkish-Pakistan Business Forum in Istanbul, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's strong support was decisive in enabling Islamabad to mediate in the peace process between the US and Iran.
“Thanks to the immense support of my dear brother President Erdoğan, Pakistan was able to mediate for the establishment of peace between the US and Iran. This was an easy and extremely complex task. It would have been almost impossible without the sincere support of President Erdoğan and other friendly and brotherly countries,” he said.
The Pakistan Prime Minister noted that the ceasefire agreement reached as a result of the mediation had entered into force, saying, “The Islamabad Agreement was signed by US President Donald Trump, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and myself as mediator on behalf of Pakistan. Now we must seize this opportunity and use the immense potential of the peace process for the benefit not only of our countries but of the entire region.”
Emphasizing the deep-rooted ties between Turkey and Pakistan in his speech, Sharif described Ankara as “one of Pakistan’s most loyal allies in the world.” He noted that the bonds of brotherhood between the two countries date back centuries and existed long before Pakistan’s founding in 1947.
Sharif stressed that the ideas discussed at the forum should be implemented for the benefit of both countries. Describing Turkey’s industrial transformation under President Erdoğan’s leadership over the past 20 years as “a small miracle,” the Pakistan Prime Minister said, “Your automotive sector has reached the same level as Europe. The same goes for textiles, livestock and agriculture. We came here to learn from your experience and take your extraordinary success stories as an example.”
Touching on economic cooperation opportunities, Sharif announced that a special zone would be allocated for Turkish investors in the industrial park in Karachi. He also drew attention to Pakistan’s rich rare earth elements and other mineral reserves, saying, “It is time to start utilizing these natural resources through joint efforts. I see no limits to our cooperation.”
Noting that 60 percent of Pakistan’s 240 million population is between the ages of 15 and 30, Sharif said this young workforce could be turned into a significant economic advantage through artificial intelligence and technology investments. The Prime Minister noted that comprehensive reforms have been made in Pakistan’s energy sector, and that Turkey has provided strong support to this process, underscoring that President Erdoğan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, and the Turkish business community are eager to invest in Pakistan.
Sharif recalled that the two countries have supported each other in difficult times throughout history, adding that the priority is to develop cooperation between companies, and that intergovernmental mechanisms could also be activated when necessary.
