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  • PM Sharif meets Erdogan, expresses ‘profound condolences’ over Türkiye quake devastation


PM Sharif meets Erdogan, expresses ‘profound condolences’ over Türkiye quake devastation

Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif (L) meets Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara. Turkiye on February 16, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Prime Minister Office)
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Updated 16 February 2023
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PM Sharif meets Erdogan, expresses ‘profound condolences’ over Türkiye quake devastation

  • Over 40,000 people have lost their lives in the earthquake that hit Türkiye and Syria earlier this month
  • Turkiye’s President Erdogan thanks PM Shehbaz Sharif for “strong and steadfast support” following the quake 
Updated 16 February 2023
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday to express his “profound condolences” over the massive loss of lives caused by an earthquake which struck the country and parts of Syria earlier this month. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Türkiye for a two-day official visit to show solidarity with the victims of a 7.8-magnitude quake that shook the country and neighboring Syria, confirmed his office, as the combined death toll from the disaster crossed 40,000.

Sharif announced he would visit Türkiye last week. However, he postponed his plan after Erdoğan declared a three-month state of emergency in 10 southeastern provinces that endured the disaster.

Pakistan has already sent several planeloads of relief goods to Türkiye and Syria, while the government has also established a special relief fund to help its people send donations to the survivors of the quake.

The PMO said Sharif is accompanied by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, special assistant to the prime minister, Tariq Fatemi, and Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt. Gen Inam Haider Malik.

“In a meeting with my brother H.E. President @RTErdogan, I expressed profound condolences to him on behalf of people & govt of [Pakistan],’ Sharif wrote on Twitter. 

In response, President Erdogan thanked Sharif for Pakistan’s “strong and steadfast support” to Turkiye in the wake of the devastating earthquake. 

“He reaffirmed that the resolute Turkish nation will emerge from this natural calamity with greater strength and determination than ever,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) added. 

Earlier, the PMO said Sharif would visit earthquake-affected areas in southern Türkiye, and interact with the Pakistani search and rescue teams deployed in the area as well as survivors of the earthquake.

The premier announced last week his government had decided to expand its ongoing rescue and relief operations for the people of Türkiye into a countrywide campaign. He said Pakistan would also enlist the support of religious scholars, education institutes, and the country’s business community to help the survivors of the quake in the Middle Eastern country.

Topics: Turkiye Syria Earthquake Pakistan Syria earthquake Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Pakistan’s Mahnoor Omer named among TIME’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026

Updated 01 March 2026
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Pakistan’s Mahnoor Omer named among TIME’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026

  • Omer moved a Pakistani court against the so-called ‘period tax’ in Sept. 2025 which has since sparked a national debate
  • Taxes on sanitary pads in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to retail price, UNICEF says only around 12 percent women use such products
Updated 01 March 2026
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer, who fought against taxes on menstrual products, has been named among the TIME magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026.

Omer’s efforts have been recognized alongside 16 activists, artists, athletes and businesswomen in the TIME’s Women of the Year 2026 list, including Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chloe Zhao.

Dissatisfied with the efforts to educate Pakistani girls about sexual violence, Omer founded the Noor Foundation at the age of 14 and held her own workshops with village girls about everything from climate change to menstruation, according to the TIME magazine.

Two years later, a conversation with a domestic worker about the price of pads made her realize that not everyone could afford these essentials. She moved a court against the so-called “period tax” in Sept. 2025 and the case has sparked a national debate on the subject, considered a taboo by many in Pakistan, since its first hearing late last year.

“A decade and one law degree after her interest in activism was sparked, Omer, now 25, is putting her passion and expertise to work in the name of gender equity,” TIME wrote about Omer on its website.

Taxes imposed on sanitary products in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to the retail price. UNICEF estimates just 12 percent of women in the country use commercially produced pads or tampons. The alternative, using cloth, risks health impacts including rashes and infections, and can make it impossible for girls to attend school while menstruating.

Omer’s suit, which awaits the government response, has sparked a national discussion. She says she spoke about menstruation to her father and male cousins, who thanked her for standing up for their daughters.
The 25-year-old, who is currently enrolled in a master’s degree in gender, peace, and security at the London School of Economics, sees this case as just the first of many.

“I’m not free until every woman is free,” she was quoted as saying by TIME. “I want to leave no stones unturned in terms of what I can do with the next few decades, as a lawyer for the women in my country and gender minorities in general.”

Topics: Mahnoor Omer

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