Pakistani intellectuals launch "Dost" to strengthen cultural ties with Turkiye

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2026) Pakistani writers, intellectuals, and artists have formally announced the establishment of "Dost," an organization

dedicated to promoting civilizational harmony, cultural diplomacy, and people-to-people connections between

Pakistan and Turkiye.

The announcement was made at an iftar gathering co-hosted by the Turkish cultural center Yunus Emre Institute in Islamabad.

Minister of State and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Huzaifa Rehman, who attended the event, acknowledged that while Pakistan and Turkiye already enjoy strong ties at the governmental level, there had long been a need for a more organized platform to extend that cooperation to the public — a role he said Dost was well placed to fill, adding that the Government of Pakistan would extend its full support to the organization.

Turkish Ambassador, Dr. Irfan Neziroglu noted that non-governmental organizations play a fundamental role in promoting cultural contacts between nations and expressed hope that Dost would take a leading position in that effort.

Dost President Dr. Farooq Adil said the organization's core purpose is to ensure that the strong friendship between the two countries is passed on to future generations in a world that has changed significantly both politically and technologically.

Secretary General Prof. Dr. Zahid Majeed announced the founding body, which includes vice chancellors, university professors, writers, a former Turkish consul general, and a Pakistani businessman based in Turkiye, reflecting the organization's broad intellectual and professional base.

The gathering concluded with a performance by Turkish artists who presented Ilahis, devotional hymns by the Sufi poet Yunus Emre and other mystic poets, performed in the traditional style with the daf, which was warmly received by the audience.