By Islamuddin Sajid
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AA) – Pakistan on Friday assured Ankara that Islamabad would not allow Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) elements in the country,
During a meeting with Turkey's Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kiran and Pakistan's Minister for Justice and Law Farogh Naseem and State Minister for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi, Islamabad said it would take visible action against FETO elements in the country.
The Turkish minister arrived in Islamabad on a day-long visit.
“We discussed the FETO schools issue with Pakistani authorities and they assured us they will take visible action, ” Kiran told Anadolu Agency after his meeting with Pakistani officials.
The Turkish delegation also shared details about some FETO members hiding in Pakistan and requested the Pakistani authorities to extradite them to Ankara.
According to the Turkish government, FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
Ankara also accused FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
Pakistani authorities are working to transfer FETO schools in the country to the Maarif Foundation, however, some courts have stalled the process.
Afridi thanked the Turkish government and people of Turkey for their support to Pakistan.
“Pakistan and Turkey are two brothers and we always stand with each other in every difficult time, ” he said.
