Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Leaves for Earthquake-hit Turkey, Days After 'Insult'

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif was last week reportedly asked to postpone his visit to earthquake-hit Turkey as the Turkish leadership's engagements related to the ongoing rehabilitation work.

New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday (February 16, 2023) said that he is leaving for Turkey, where a powerful earthquake last week killed over 35,000 people. In a tweet, Sharif said that he is "leaving for Türkiye with a message of unwavering solidarity".

"I am leaving for Türkiye with a message of unwavering solidarity and support for our Turkish brothers and sisters from the people and government of Pakistan. True to the spirit of one nation living in two states, we consider their loss as ours," Sharif tweeted.

I am leaving for Türkiye with a message of unwavering solidarity and support for our Turkish brothers and sisters from the people and government of Pakistan. True to the spirit of one nation living in two states, we consider their loss as ours.

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) February 16, 2023

This comes a week after he was reportedly asked to postpone his visit to the country due to Turkish leadership's engagements related to the ongoing rehabilitation work. 

Sharif was scheduled to leave for Turkey on February 8. The visit, however, was delayed as Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other officials were busy with rescue and relief operations.

Turkey and neighboring Syria have been rocked by a devastating earthquake on February 6 which killed more than 41,000 people and left millions in need of humanitarian aid, with many survivors having been left homeless in near-freezing winter temperatures.