By Muhammad Luqman
Pakistan is considering a plan to sign an agreement with Turkey to allow dual citizenship for citizens of the two countries.
The proposal came under discussion during a meeting between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Ijaz Ahmad Shah and Turkish Ambassador to Islamabad Ihsan Mustafa Yurdakul the other day, according to media reports.
According to the statement of Pakistan’s interior ministry, the Turkish ambassador on behalf of his government proposed both countries sign an agreement to allow dual citizenship for their citizens. “In response to this, the minister said the draft is under consideration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is on board with us. We hope to reach a mutual conclusion soon,” it added. Shah also welcomed the establishment of mutual training programmes and the upgrading of law enforcement equipment with Turkey.
“The minister for the interior welcomed the initiative of introducing a patrolling force in collaboration with ICT Police based on the model of the Dolphin force introduced in Lahore,” the statement said.
In an interview with a Turkish news agency, Prime Minister Imran Khan recently said that Pakistan will be inviting Turkey to join multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Project (CPEC).
“Yes, the connectivity, we hope that when the Turkish delegation comes in a couple of weeks, we hope to involve them in using CPEC for further connectivity, and we hope to involve Turkey in this [CPEC],” the prime minister said in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency in the capital, Islamabad.
He hoped , during the scheduled visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the middle of February, he was expecting to enhance trading partnership. “There are various areas where Turkey can help Pakistan for instance in mining. Pakistan is a country which is full of minerals, but we have not excavated explored minerals like gold and copper We want certain areas where we want technology. So, it will be quite a comprehensive visit,” he said.
