The PTI says that the visit of the Turkish president was orchestrated by the prime minister to gain legitimacy at a time when his assets are facing scrutiny in the Supreme Court. And there might be an element of truth to that.
Bu the visit to Lahore was entirely personal. The president is said to be fond of the Punjab chief minister and the latter certainly is inspired by the former.
When Erdogan’s daughter was getting married, the younger son of the CM, along with his wife, went to represent their father (who absolutely couldn’t go) and were feted and treated as part of an exclusive inner circle.
Though the closure of The Mall Road split the city into two on the day of Erdogan’s visit, he was nonetheless treated to a sumptuous Pakistani dinner at the Fort. One wonders whether the Turkish president recognised the Dolphin force patrolling the roads.
The new minister of state for information and broadcasting is said to be no push-over. Instead of sitting in her office, she has also set up shop at the PID itself, where the officers of the information service really have to sing for their supper. She really seems to want to turn the government’s information apparatus around.
Interestingly, the federal information secretary also happens to be a lady. As does the prime minister’s daughter, who is said to be heading to media cell in the prime minister secretariat itself.
The women running the state’s information apparatus, so to speak. Girl power!
