Turks in Pakistan challenge their expulsion order in court

Erdogan arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday for a two-day visit.

Of those being asked to leave, 108 are staff members and the rest are family members.

The network of Pak-Turk schools and colleges was launched in 1995 under the global NGO registered with the Turkish government.

The Erdogan administration blames Gulen for an attempt by the military to stage a coup in July this year, and has demanded his extradition from the United States.

Management wants Islamabad High Court to overturn interior ministry’s decision that affects staff and their families.

Since July’s failed coup, Turkey has cracked down on any individuals or groups believed to have links to Fethullah Gulen.

Before his departure from Ankara, Erdogan praised Pakistan’s actions against Gulen-linked organizations.

The Turkish president is to visit Pakistan Nov. 16.

“Scholarships from Turkey are helping Pakistani students complete their Masters, PhD and undergraduate study”.

The Turkish President said our target is to further expand multidimensional relationship with Pakistan in different fields including defense, culture, education and health.

For Hafiz Arafat, a parent whose children attend a PakTurk school in Islamabad, the politically motivated decision to expel teachers was concerning and, he said, hard to explain to his kids.

“Some columnists in Pakistani newspapers were underlining or making innocent statements or remarks but they are not welcomed by us”, the Turkish president said. “Are they all Gulen followers?” an official of the PakTurk school network told DW on condition of anonymity.

The Pak-Turk International operates 28 campuses throughout Pakistan.

In today’s session, provincial governors and chief ministers except for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, heads of the Pakistan armed forces and representations from varying political parties including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), except Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) were also present. Sources claim that Khan has stakes in the PakTurk foundation. This would be the third time that Mr Erdogan would be addressing the Pakistani parliament.

PM Nawaz and Turkish President Erdogan addressed a joint press conference following a one-on-one meeting and delegation-level talks in the capital.

Erdogan will visit Uzbekistan on November 17-18. He will also meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other senior government officials, and will travel to Lahore later in the day as well.

Erdogan thanked Pakistan in his private messages for their support during the coup. “Turkey supports the stance of Pakistan, Kashmiri people and urges global community to do an active role in resolution of this issue”, he said. Pakistan underwent a similar transformation in the 1980s and is still struggling to come out of it.

Some officials who have seen the latest draft of the proposal said in Ankara on Wednesday that the ruling party planned to take the proposed constitutional change to a referendum next spring.

The Turkish prime minister had already addressed the joint session of the parliament in October 2009 and May 2012. He is tough on opponents and repressive of freedom of expression and has a Syria policy at variance with that of Pakistan.