ISLAMABAD Nov 17 (APP): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was warmly welcomed by Parliament of Pakistan when he arrived to address the joint sitting. Erdogan had an honor to address the joint sitting of the Parliament for the third time since 2012.
Following are the highlights of the joint sitting
• Members started reaching the House around 1.30 pm
• Governor Punjab Rafiq Rajwana and Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Governor KP Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri and Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman witnessed proceedings from the Speaker’s gallery
• Services Chiefs including Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Rashad Mahmood, Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Zakaullah arrived at 2.22 pm and witnessed proceedings from the Speaker’s gallery
• Large number of diplomats and former members of the Parliament were also present in the visitor’s galleries to witness the proceedings
• Members of Turkish media and security also witnessed and covered the proceedings
• Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reached the House at 2.46 pm and was welcomed by members by desks thumping. He shook hands with cabinet members and parliamentarians and went to Leaders of the Opposition in National Assembly and the Senate Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and shook hands with them
• Parliamentarians Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Rehman Malik and members from FATA approached the Speaker’s gallery to exchange greetings with military leadership.
• Turkish President arrived the National Assembly hall at 2.50 pm along with Speaker National Assembly sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani.
• Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Cabinet members and all Parliamentarians and visitors welcomed him by standing on their seats and desks thumping.
• Speaker National Assembly took the center seat with Turkish President sitting to his right Chairman Senate to the left.
• National anthems of both the countries were played after the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran and Na’at
• The Turkish President was accorded appreciation to his remarks about Pak-Turk relations, Pakistan’s contribution to war against terrorism and the plight of people in Indian occupied Kashmir, who were daring Indian atrocities for decades.
• On conclusion of the session the Turkish President met with cabinet members, political party leaders and extended greetings to civil and military leadership sitting in Speaker’s gallery
• The Speaker read out the prorogation order on culmination of the proceedings.
