LAHORE, Nov 20: Rail service will soon be launched between Pakistan and Turkey whereas Turkey is taking solid steps to promote trade and overcome energy crises in Pakistan. These views were expressed by heads of Turkish traders? delegation Turgut Puyan and Dogan Kaynak during a media briefing, says a handout issued here on Saturday.
They said they preferred celebrating Eid with flood-hit Pakistani brothers and sisters instead of their own families. They said that 5,000 animals were sacrificed and 250,000 packets of meat were distributed among 1.5 million people affected by the floods. They said that all the animals were purchased from flood-hit farmers against Rs20 million.
The Turkish traders said MoUs had been signed with the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry to enhance trade between Pakistan and Turkey and a delegation of Pakistani traders would visit Turkey next year. They said Turkish and Pakistani prime ministers and the Punjab chief minister had set a $2 billion trade volume target which would be met during next two years. They said that opening of schools with the cooperation of Turkey in every city of Pakistan had been planned.
The Turkish traders said they witnessed that financial assistance given for the rehabilitation was being utilised properly. They said that Turkish investors would start their businesses in Pakistan in near future. A mobile power plant had reached Karachi Port which would provide electricity to Karachi for next five years, they added.
They said they were thankful to the people of Punjab and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for the hospitality extended to them during their visit.
