Turkish Speaker thanks Pakistan Parliament for support

Turkish Speaker thanks Pakistan Parliament for support, says 'both countries are like one family', Mushahid presents plaque with Pakistan Parliament resolutions, delegation gets standing ovation in the Turkish Parliament

ANKARA, August 19: Pakistan all parties parliamentary delegation to express solidarity with the parliament of Turkey, led by Senator Mushahid Hussain, was very warmly received by the Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, Ismail Kahraman, at his office in the Turkish Parliament.

When the Speaker entered the meeting room to receive the Pakistan Delegation, he personally shouted the slogan 'Pakistan Zindabad', and warmly hugged the Leader of the Pakistan Delegation, Senator Mushahid Hussain.

He told the Pakistan parliamentarians that the 'Turkish Parliament can never forget the gesture of support and solidarity of the Pakistan Parliament, whose Senate and National Assembly both passed unanimous resolutions of support for Turkish democracy'. The Speaker said during  the 1965 India-Pakistan War, as a student leader then, he had organised a 'Pakistan Zindabad' Rally in Istanbul.

Senator Mushahid Hussain, while expressing the solidarity of the Pakistan parliament with the parliament of Turkey in the aftermath of the July 15 coup attempt, presented a plaque with the text of both resolutions of the Senate and National Assembly. Senator Mushahid Hussain said the 'Pakistan parliament salutes the parliament and parliamentarians of Turkey who showed courage and commitment by immediately convening a session of parliament while the coup was underway, with the Speaker refusing to leave the building despite the bombing by F-16 planes.

Then the Pakistan Delegation was ushered into the visitors gallery of the TurkishGrand National Assembly, where the Speaker announced the Pakistan Delegation, to which the entire Turkish Parliament members gave them a standing ovation with applause.

The Pakistan Delegation also visited the three bombed sites of the Turkish Parliament which had been attacked by F-16 planes of the coup plotters on the night of July 15.

The Pakistan Delegation also laid flowers at the various bombed sites as a mark of respect to the dead and wounded in the coup attempt. Almost 300 were killed in the coup attempt.