Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) should immediately convene an emergency meeting to discuss and decide on an immediate relief package for the people of Turkey.
More than 45,000 people more killed, millions were left homeless, and a sizable rescue effort was initiated by a powerful earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency, the prime minister urged the OIC to call a summit right away so that all Muslim nations could vote on an immediate aid package for Turkey in order to help the suffering people in the earthquake-stricken country.
Also, the Pakistani prime minister invited the world community to participate because Pakistan needed their assistance.
He issued a caution that a similar circumstance could develop elsewhere, urging the international community to rise to the occasion and assist the earthquake victims through joint efforts.
The prime minister declared that there was no need to take sides or take points.
“It is high time for the international community to come forward and contribute whatever they can for the rehabilitation of the earthquake-affected people,” he added.
He said President Erdogan was leading from the front along with his team. Undaunted by the extreme weather conditions, they were marching forward with a sense of purpose, he said.
“Things are extremely difficult, but the resolve of the Turkish nation is strong,” he said adding, the Turkish nation, in the past, had fought for their freedom by offering sacrifices.
“Out of this challenge, there is an opportunity, and no doubt, they will convert this destruction into a wonderful construction,” the prime minister opined.
Pakistan and Turkey, according to the prime minister, are similar to two souls and one heart.
After the earthquake, he said, he spoke to President Erdogan on the phone and offered his sympathies and whatever Pakistan has to offer for their Turkish relatives.
According to the prime minister, Pakistan has already provided 500 tonnes of supplies via various commercial flights and Pakistan Air Force aircraft.
He continued by expressing his optimism that Pakistan would be able to contribute 1,700 tonnes of relief supplies in March and around 1,300 tonnes by the end of this month.
The prime minister said that the majority of it will be made up of winterized tents and added that he had already ordered its prompt production.
“Our rescue teams are able to rescue 14 people from the rubble. But this devastation is beyond imagination,” he added.
The federal government and parliament of Pakistan, according to the prime minister, gave one month’s pay to the earthquake relief fund.
He claimed that he had also asked Pakistan’s populace to show unwavering support for the Turkish people.
The prime minister recalled how President Erdogan and the Turkish people went above and above to support their country after the 2005 earthquake, the 2010 floods, and the floods in Pakistan last year.
“It’s a colossal loss, so no amount of aid would be enough,” PM Shehbaz observed. He also said that Pakistan is in a deep sense of grief and sorrow and prayed for the departed souls.
PM Shehbaz praised President Erdogan’s leadership skills and expressed hope that his government will emerge from the crisis. He added that the Pakistani people stood in total solidarity with the Turkish people.
He said that Turkish citizens had likewise given their earthquake victims billions of dollars.
The prime minister spoke of the deep relations between the two nations, saying that despite speaking different languages, they were able to communicate with one another. They acted as families.
He went on to say, “It is the spirit and motivation, it dates back centuries.
