Pakistan offers assistance as 6.1 magnitude quake flattens buildings in Türkiye’s Balikesir province
Pakistan offers assistance as 6.1 magnitude quake flattens buildings in Türkiye’s Balikesir province/node/2611419/pakistan
Pakistan offers assistance as 6.1 magnitude quake flattens buildings in Türkiye’s Balikesir province
Members of Turkish Gendarmerie search and rescue team work at the site of a building that collapsed following an earthquake in Sindirgi, in the western Balikesir province, Turkey, August 11, 2025. (Reuters)
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed deep concern at a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that flattened buildings in Türkiye’s Balikesir province, saying that Pakistan stands ready to offer any assistance to Ankara.
Türkiye’s disaster management agency said the quake was recorded at around 19:53 local time (16:53 GMT) on Sunday evening and was felt as far away as Istanbul. An 81-year-old woman passed away shortly after she was pulled from the rubble in the town of Sindirgi, which was the epicenter of the quake, Türkiye’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
He said 16 buildings had collapsed in the province due to the tremors, injuring around 29. None of the injured were critically wounded, Yerlikaya said.
“Deeply concerned by the earthquake in Turkiye’s Balıkesir province,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X. “I convey my heartfelt sympathies to my dear brother, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and assure him that Pakistan stands ready to extend all possible assistance.”
Deeply concerned by the earthquake in Turkiye’s Balıkesir province. Our prayers are with all those affected and we wish for the safety and wellbeing of our Turkish brothers and sisters. I convey my heartfelt sympathies to my dear brother, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and…
Television footage showed rescue teams asking for silence so they can listen for signs of life beneath the rubble. Türkiye’s disaster management agency said the earthquake was followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 4.6 magnitude, and urged citizens not to enter damaged buildings.
President Erdogan issued a statement following the earthquake, wishing all affected citizens a speedy recovery.
“May god protect our country from any kind of disaster,” the Turkish president wrote on X.
Türkiye sits on top of major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent. In 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed more than 53,000 people in Türkiye and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and southeastern provinces.
Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of Syria.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to deepen their strategic and economic cooperation during high-level talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif visited Qatar along with a high-level delegation on the invitation of Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Pakistani premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense ministers to discuss cooperation in various domains.
The visit came at a time when Pakistan is seeking closer economic engagement with Gulf partners amid its broader push to stabilize the economy and attract investment, while maintaining security and defense cooperation with key regional states.
During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, according to the Pakistan prime minister’s office.
“They reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional ties,” Sharif’s office said.
“Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture, with both sides stressing the importance of their task force to accelerate cooperation in all these areas.”
Pakistan and Qatar maintain strong trade and investment ties. In 2022, the office of Qatar’s emir said the Qatar Investment Authority planned to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, targeting sectors including transport, aviation, education, health, media, technology and labor.
Nearly 300,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, with many employed in health, education, engineering and public services, as well as construction and transport. The two countries engage through forums such as the Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Sharif said he had productive discussions with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on how the two sides could transform their brotherly ties into mutually beneficial economic relationships.
“We also took stock of the regional situation,” he said on X. “Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (second right) meets the Qatari Emir Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (left) in Doha, Qatar, on February 24, 2026. (PID)
DIALOGUE WITH AFGHANISTAN
Earlier, Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to support regional stability.
The meeting took place amid renewed tensions after Islamabad carried out airstrikes last week on what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets inside Afghanistan. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to what it called a violation of its sovereignty.
“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”
This was the second time in less than six months that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan. The last strikes triggered heavy, weeklong clashes between the neighbors along their border before Qatar and Turkiye mediated a ceasefire between them in Oct. last year.
Separately, Sharif held meetings with Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), highlighting Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms.
He invited QBA members to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, his office said.
