ASHGABAT/ ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov here on Thursday and discussed matters of mutual interest.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to enhance connectivity with Turkmenistan through land and sea routes and said that Karachi and Gwadar ports were ideally located to be utilised by the Turkmen side to enhance their outreach to South Asia and beyond. During their warm and cordial meeting, he congratulated the Turkmen president on the 30th anniversary of Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan and on the UN designation of 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust.
While thanking the Turkmen President for the hospitality extended to him and his delegation, the PM conveyed his warm wishes for Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, National Leader of the Turkmen People and reiterated his most cordial invitation to him as well as to President Serdar Berdimuhamedow to undertake official visits to Pakistan next year, on mutually convenient dates, to be worked out by the two sides.
Earlier, the PM arrived in Ashgabat on a two-day official visit to participate in the International Forum dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust (2025), International Day of Neutrality and the 30th anniversary of the Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan from 11-12 December 2025. He is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Energy Minister Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and other members of the cabinet and senior government officials.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will have an important meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ashgabat, today (Friday). Highly placed diplomatic sources told The News here that the meeting has an added significance in the wake of the recently concluded visit of President Putin to India.
The sources revealed that the visit to Turkmenistan was not originally in the schedule, but ever since President Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, confirmed their attendance at the 30th anniversary of the Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan, Islamabad also opted to attend it at the level of head of government.
Earlier in the day, PM Shehbaz Sharif directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to intensify efforts to achieve the target of increasing tax-to-GDP ratio up to 11pc. Chairing a weekly review meeting regarding matters of FBR, he also instructed to further expand the tax net in order to meet the tax revenue targets.
He appreciated the FBR authorities for significantly reducing the duration of customs clearance through the use of modern technology and artificial intelligence and directed to further reduce the duration of customs clearance of imports and exports. The PM also stressed ensuring tax enforcement in all sectors of economy to increase the government revenues. Appreciating the FBR authorities and law-enforcing agencies for taking effective actions against illegal cigarette manufacturing factories, the prime minister asked the provincial governments to continue their coordination with the FBR in taking measures against tax evaders, and illegal factories. He also instructed to ensure timely payment of sales tax refunds.
