Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his strong statement of support for Pakistan during the current situation in South Asia and his call for peace in the region.  

Talking to Ambassador of Turkiye to Pakistan Dr Irfan Neziroglu in Islamabad on Saturday, Shehbaz Sharif said Turkiye's support to Pakistan is reflective of historic, deep-rooted, and time-tested brotherly relations between the two countries.  

The Prime Minister said despite India's provocative actions following the Pahalgam incident, Pakistan's response was responsible and measured.                      

He reiterated that Pakistan has always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Enumerating that Pakistan's sacrifices in its counter-terrorism efforts, including 90,000 casualties and over 152 billion dollars in economic losses over the years, Shehbaz Sharif said India's actions will distract Pakistan from its counter-terrorism efforts.                                        

The Prime Minister emphasized that India has failed to share any evidence and is falsely trying to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam incident.

He said India has yet to respond to Pakistan's offer to have a credible, transparent and neutral international investigation to ascertain the facts behind the Pahalgam incident. Pakistan would cooperate fully with such an investigation and would welcome if Turkiye joined it.  

The Prime Minister reaffirmed his government's focus on Pakistan's economic recovery and growth for which it required peace and security in its neighborhood.

On the occasion, the Turkish Ambassador informed the Prime Minister that Turkiye appreciated Pakistan's position and expressed its solidarity with Pakistan while calling for de-escalation and urging restraint in the current crisis to maintain peace and security in South Asia.