On the second day of his visit to Türkiye, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was in Adıyaman, one of the 10 provinces struck by the earthquake disaster on Feb. 6. Sharif also plans to meet with tent manufacturers in his country in order to provide more shelter to people in Türkiye displaced by the catastrophe.
Sharif told Anadolu Agency (AA) that when he returns to Pakistan on Friday, he will meet with manufacturers and task them to produce winterized tents "as quickly as possible with the highest quality." "And they will have to honor their commitments because our brothers and sisters in Türkiye are in dire need of tents,” Sharif pledged. "We hope that by the end of this month, we will be able to send something like 1,300 tons of relief goods,” he said, adding that "in March, another 1,700 tons and in April, about 600 tons of relief goods are to be sent, with the bulk of this being winterized tents.”
Sharif said Pakistan and Türkiye "are like two souls and one heart,” adding that he immediately called President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan when he heard about the earthquakes to offer condolences and whatever help his country needs during this difficult time. "But this devastation is beyond imagination. It's a colossal loss. So, no amount of aid would be enough,” said Sharif. "So, ever since, we have been able to transport more than 500 tons of relief goods for our Turkish brothers, particularly those affected by these shocks in the south of Türkiye, in the form of winterized tents, blankets and other relief items, as well as rescue and medical teams,” he said. "And I'm glad to share with you that our team was able to rescue at least 14 people from the rubble... Alhamdulillah, they're alive,” he added. Sharif said Pakistan and Türkiye are like a family and "we will live and die together. That is the spirit. That is the motivation. That is the relationship, and it goes back centuries.”
The prime minister on Friday was welcomed by Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu and Trade Minister Mehmet Muş in Adıyaman where he visited Pakistan's search and rescue crews and the families they saved. At a press conference at the disaster response coordination center, Sharif said he was proud of the work of the ministers and his Turkish brothers and sisters working tirelessly, as well as Pakistan's crews helping rescue many people from the rubble.
