Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that an “objective assessment” of Pakistan’s foreign relations since the PML-N government came to power “does not support the view projected in sections of the media that Pakistan is being isolated and its foreign policy lacks direction”.
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Pakistan has offered Turkey to take over a chain of schools allegedly run by Fateullah Gulen, a US based cleric accused of being behind the recent failed coup in a move aimed at allaying Ankara’s concerns over the presence of institutions in the country.
He pressed Pakistan to shut the Gulen-run schools as they had “hidden agenda”‘ “Until now we were also support the Pak-Turk schools but we have now found out they have a hidden agenda”, he added.
“Gulen-run schools are functional in many different countries”.
On regional issues, he pledged Turkey’s support for cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan to bring peace to the former as well as Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir and called for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to coordinate its members over the disputed zone.
Cavusoglu said that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already shared documents with Pakistani leaders about activities of Gulen’s group in Pakistan. He also asked for the mobilisation of the OIC Contact Group and for sending a fact-finding mission to Indian administered Kashmir to monitor the situation.
Cavusoglu agreed that the decade-long issue needed to be resolved through talks between Pakistan and India and not through violence.
Cavusoglu said Pakistan was the first country he was visiting after the coup attempt in Turkey, and acknowledged the support of the Pakistani nation and government for their solidarity in this hour.
“This terrorist organisation has a global network of schools, business associations and cultural organisations”.
Sartaj Aziz said the two countries has chose to further intensify engagement at all levels of relations to achieve this cherished goal.
Membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which reflects “new geo-political alignments” will show Pakistan is “on the right side of history”, Aziz added.
He also thanked Pakistani lawmakers for passing resolutions in support of Turkish democracy. He said that both Pakistan and Turkey were battling against terrorism together.
Nine Pakistani ambassadors accredited to various capitals and multilateral institutions are in attendance at the meet, Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said.
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The clarity with which Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke on the issue can only be expected from a honest friend like Turkey.
