President Asif Zardari met with Prince Rahim Aga Khan V on Monday and offered his condolance on his father’s prince Karim Aga Khan IV, who died in the Portuguese capital last week, the president’s secretariat press said in a press release.

It said the president expressed his heartfelt sympathy on behalf of the people and Pakistan’s government. He said the Pakistani nation mourned over the loss of a “real friend” and “great philanthropist” whose “visionary leadership improved people’s lives” all over the world.

The president paid tribute to the deceased Aga Khan’s contribution to Pakistan’s social and economic development, especially in healthcare, education, social development and poverty reduction. He hoped that Prince Rahim would continue his father’s mission to serve the cause of humanity.

While on his way to Lisbon, the president had a stopover at Istanbul Airport and held a short meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two leaders discussed bilateral ties, questions of mutual interest and exchanged courtesy.

The meeting between Zardari and Erdogan came when the Turkish president began on a four-day three-national visit that would lead him to Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan. According to Turkiyes Sabah Daily, Erdogan would visit Pakistan on the last stage of his tour.

It noted that the relationship between Pakistan-Turkiye reached the highest level under consecutive employment of the Turkish president. In particular, two countries increased the cooperation in the defense industry with offers signed on the acquisition of naval vessels and effortless air vehicles (UAVs).

During the visit 10-13. February would Erdogan’s meeting “Focus on improving collaboration in different areas as well as warm issues on the international agenda, from the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to the situation in Syria … as well as Russia-Ukraine conflict”, The Daily reported.

(With Input from News Desk)