POLITICAL ISSUES
IRAN
1. Pakistan, Iran to continue cooperation for shared prosperity: Pervaiz Rashid
Islamabad, Wednesday, 11 February 2015
On the 36th anniversary of Iran’s National Day Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid said that Pakistan and Iran would continue to work together for regional peace.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: Daily Times, Lahore

SAUDI ARABIA
2. General Rashad met Saudi Arabian leadership
Rawalpindi, Wednesday, 3 February 2015
On an official visit to Saudi Arabia, Chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Rashad Mahmood met with King Salman, Defence Minister Muhammad bin Salman, Commander of Saudi Arabian National Guards Miteb bin Abdullah, Deputy Interior Minister Abdul Rahman and Chief of General Staff General Abdul Rehman. Matters of professional interest including defence production collaboration, exchange programmes and training were discussed in these meetings.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: The News International, Karachi; Daily Times, Lahore

3. Saudi King invited PM to visit Kingdom
Islamabad, Friday, 27 February 2015
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said that King Salman has invited Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to visit Saudi Arabia.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: The News International, Karachi

SYRIA
4. Bokhari met Syrian PM, Speaker
Islamabad, Tuesday, 24 February 2015
The Chairperson of Pakistan Senate Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari met with Syrian People’s Assembly Speaker Mohammad Jihad al-Laham and Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi.  Discussion ranged from Pakistan’s attitude against terrorism to cooperation in economic, industrial, technical and medical sectors.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: Daily Times, Lahore; The Dawn, Karachi

TURKEY
5. General Raheel met Turkish Prime Minister
Islamabad, Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif met visiting Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and discussed regional security and bilateral security and defence co-operation and collaboration.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: Business Recorder, Karachi

6. Sharif, Davutoglu discussed ways to further strengthen ties
Islamabad, Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu held a meeting and discussed issues of bilateral interest.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

7. Pakistan, Turkey vowed to fight terrorism; deplore acts of Islamophobia
Islamabad, Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Pakistan and Turkey resolved to fight terrorism and called for criminalization of all acts of Islamophobia and signed a joint statement condemning the defamation campaign against Islam.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: The News International, Karachi

8. Pakistan, Turkey held 4th HLSCC meeting
Islamabad, Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Pakistan and Turkey held the fourth meeting of High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) and discussed ways of cooperation in six key areas. The HLSCC was established at the prime ministerial level in October 2009 and had three sessions in Ankara (December 2010); Islamabad (May 2012); and Ankara (September 2013).
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: The Dawn, Karachi

9. Pakistan and Turkey inked 11 MOUs
Islamabad, Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Pakistan and Turkey agreed to work towards a free trade agreement (FTA) and 11Eleven protocols and memoranda of understanding were signed between the two countries.
Source: The Nation, Lahore; See also: The Dawn, Karachi; The Express Tribune, Karachi

ECONOMIC ISSUES
QATAR
10. Qatar wanted developed Pakistan: Sheikh Tamim
Lahore, Sunday, 15 February 2015
Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif met Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad and both agreed to promote cooperation in economic and trade sectors.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: Business Recorder, Karachi

TURKEY
11. Pakistan, Turkey to work towards FTA; vow to boost trade up to US$ 10 billion
Islamabad, Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Pakistan and Turkey agreed to work for a FTA that would enhance bilateral trade to US$3 billion in two years and subsequently to US$5-10 billion in the next few years.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

12. Pak-Turkey FTA to help raise textile exports: Khurram
Islamabad, Monday, 23 February 2015
Federal Minister of Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan said that the Pak-Turkey FTA would increase export of textiles, agro and dairy products, and livestock.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: Daily Times, Lahore

DEFENCE ISSUES
TURKEY
13. Pakistan, Turkish Navies to hold bilateral Naval Exercise
Karachi, Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Pakistan Navy and Turkish Navy would hold a naval exercise in Karachi on 19 February to enhance operational understanding and Turkish Navy Ship ‘TCG Buyukada’ arrived at Karachi to take part.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: The News International, Karachi; Business Recorder, Karachi

UAE
14. General Raheel visited Int’l Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi
Rawalpindi, Sunday, 22 February 2015
Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif visited the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and held separate meetings with UAE Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumeithy and other senior military officials of the UAE.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: Daily Times, Lahore

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
IRAQ
15. Pakistan thrashed Iraq 25-0 in West Asia Baseball Cup opener
Islamabad, Monday, 23 February 2015
Pakistan won in the opener of 12th West Asia Baseball Cup against Iraq with a score of 25-nil.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

TURKEY
16. Turkish Cultural Room opened at Heritage Museum
Islamabad, Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu inaugurated the Turkish Cultural Room in the Heritage Museum, Islamabad.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

17. Turkey to establish Imam Hatip School in Pakistan
Islamabad, Wednesday, 18 February 2015
A three-member Turkish delegation met with Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf and agreed to establish International Imam-Hatip School in Islamabad for religious and modern education.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: Daily Times, Lahore

18. SIUT signed Memorandum of Understanding with Turkish varsity
Karachi, Saturday, 28 February 2015
Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) signed a MoU with Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey during a two-day visit of the President of the Baskent University Mehmat Haberal.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: The News International, Karachi

COMPILED BY PAULAMI SANYAL

Paulami Sanyal is a doctoral candidate at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.  Email

As part of its editorial policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spelling and date formats to make the text uniformly accessible and stylistically consistent. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views/positions of the MEI@ND. Editor, MEI@ND: P R Kumaraswamy