ISLAMABAD:  Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that Turkey is taking care of Pakistani citizens as their own people, media reported on Wednesday.

Cavusoglu said this in his telephonic conversation with Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Both the leaders discussed international challenges and the ways to control over corovirus outbreak.

FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi while lauding the steps being taken by Turkish government to control over the pandemic showed solidarity on behalf of the people and government of Pakistan.

The Turkish FM said, they are taking care Pakistanis as their own nationals and they will be sent back as soon flight operations resume.

Earlier, FM Qureshi had reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to host SAARC Health Ministers’ conference to enhance cooperation among member state in health sector with particular focus on COVID-19.

In a telephonic talk with his Bangladeshi counterpart A.K. Abdul Momen, he had suggested that SAARC should evaluate and coordinate on the economic and social disruption caused by COVID-19 and experts from the member countries should commence work in this regard immediately.

Foreign Minister Qureshi had underlined the need for immediate lifting of sanctions against Iran and enabling the Iranian authorities to utilize their resources for saving precious human lives.