A 22-member Turkish delegation comprising intellectuals and media personnel has arrived in Pakistan on a seven-day visit.
During their stay, the delegation, headed by Professor at Istanbul University Urdu Department Dr Halil Toker, will be visiting the Line of Control and hold a meeting with Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Masood Khan and Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider and discuss the precarious situation in Indian-held Kashmir following New Delhi’s illegal revocation of the special status of the occupied valley on August 5 and ensuing complete lockdown and curfew. An interaction with All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leadership and Mashal Malik, the wife of jailed Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yaseen Malik, is also part of the agenda, in addition to a visit to the AJK Assembly and Muhajir Camp in Muzaffarabad.
In Islamabad, the delegation will call on President Arif Alvi. A briefing will be given to the delegation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding Pakistan’s foreign policy dynamics and the country’s efforts to bring peace to the region, especially Islamabad’s role in the Afghan peace process. The visiting dignitaries will also be briefed about humanitarian crisis in Indian-held Kashmir and Pakistan’s peace overtures towards India with an aim to resolve all outstanding disputes through talks.
The delegation will take part in interactive sessions at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI).
In Lahore, the delegation will visit historical places besides witnessing the flag lowering ceremony at Wagha border crossing between Indian and Pakistan. SDE President Dr Muhammet Sava? Kafkasyali, GASAM President Cemal Demir, TRT World Head of Planning Gokhan Gokce, Anadolu Agency Foreign News Editor Ogun Duru are part of the delegation besides representatives from NTV, Kanal 5, Hurriyet Daily News, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, TürkMedyaDijital, Daily Sabah, Milli Gazette, TV 5 and Yeni Safak.
