ANKARA: An eight-member Pakistan All Parties Parliamentary delegation led by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed arrived here Wednesday to express solidarity with the Parliament of Turkey, in the aftermath of the abortive coup attempt of July 15.
The delegation includes Senators and MNAs from 8 different political parties, both ruling and opposition, from all provinces of Pakistan.
On arrival in Turkey, the delegation was received by the senior member of the Turkish Parliament, Burhan Kayaturk, as well as the Ambassador of Pakistan, Suhail Mahmood.
Turkey Sohail Mahmood at airport. APP
Talking to the media, Senator Mushahid Hussain said the ‘all the elected representatives of Pakistani political parties are here to express solidarity with the people, parliament and President Erdogan for defending democracy, protecting parliament and upholding the role of law’. He praised the people of Turkey for standing up for the rule of law and for demonstration of their courage and commitment to the Constitution and democratic governance.
Senator Mushahid Hussain said ‘since Pakistan parliament’s both houses passed unanimous resolutions expressing solidarity with Turkey, it is befitting that the first Parliamentary delegation arriving in Turkey after the abortive coup attempt of July 15 is from Pakistan, which considers Turkey a brotherly country’.
The Parliamentary delegation also laid a wreath at the Mausoleum of the Father of Modern Turkey, Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, and toured the Museum as well. Writing in the visitors book at the Ataturk Mausoleum, Senator Mushahid Hussain wrote: ‘Ataturk is the hero of not only Turkey but also the entire Muslim World as he defeated British imperialism and laid the foundations of a modern, progressive Turkey. Quaid-e-Azam, the Father of the Nation, was a great admirer of Ataturk and on the death of Ataturk in November 1938, Quaid-e-Azam as President of the All India Muslim League, declared Ataturk’s death as an irreparable loss and declared a day of national mourning all over India’.
Ambassador Suhail Mahmood hosted a dinner in honour of the parliament delegation which was attended by Turkish MPs.
