ISLAMABAD - After his likely address to the joint session of the parliament on 17th of this month, the Turkish Preisdent Recep Tayyip Erdogan will become the first foreign dignitary to address Pakistan’s apex constitutional forum thrice.
His address to the Pakistani parliament for the third time will also depict the deep-rooted relations and fraternity between the two brotherly Islamic states and their people that date back to the days of the Ottoman Empire and “Khalifat Movement”.
It is also interesting to note that after the failed coup in Turkey it is the first visit of Turkish President Erdogan to Pakistan. The Turkish leader will also be expressing his gratitude to the people of Pakistan for extending unequivocal support to the Turkish government against the attempted military takeover.
The only matter of disturbance to the Pakistani government is the announcement by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to boycott the joint session of the parliament and the government through intermediaries has been trying to convince the PTI leadership not to boycott the parliament on the occasion of Erdogan’s address.
Sources in the government confirmed that some backchannel contacts have been made with the PTI leadership to review the decision but so far the PTI leadership was committed to its programme.
Interestingly back in 20012, when Erdogan addressed the joint session of the parliament the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was in the opposition, and they had also planned to boycott the joint session.
Later on the persuasion of the government they decided to attend the joint session.
Erdogan would address a joint-session of the parliament on November 17, it has been learnt.
According to sources, the Turkish president will arrive in Pakistan on a two-day state visit next week accompanied by a high-level delegation.
Turkish president is expected to hold one-on-one meetings with his Pakistani counterpart President Mamnoon Hussain as well as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his visit.
Leaders of the two countries would also discuss international issues including terrorism and the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, they said.
Several cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed between Pakistan and Turkey during the visit.
Erdogan previously served as the prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014.
He would be the ninth world leader to address Pakistan’s parliament and the first foreign dignitary to address the joint session thrice.
His previous addresses to joint sessions of the parliament were on May 20, 2012 and on October 2009.
Former Turkish President Kenan Evren addressed the joint session on December 9, 2010. President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping addressed a joint session of parliament on April 21, 2015.
Former Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao also addressed a joint session on December 19, 2010 being the sixth foreign dignitary to do so till that time.
In 1997, Queen Elizabeth II addressed a joint session on Pakistan’s 50th independence anniversary.
In September 1992, the then Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani visited Pakistan and addressed the joint session, besides holding discussions with his counterpart on future of Afghanistan.
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Sirimavo Bandaranaike visited Pakistan on 4 to 9 September 1974 during the era of late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and addressed the joint session.
