A group of seven Pakistani motorcyclists from Cross Route Club Pakistan is currently on its expedition named "Lahore-Istanbul Rally" in Turkiye to showcasing the vibrant spirit of Pakistan and promoting tourism and culture exchanges between the two brotherly countries.

The group members travelled approximately eight thousand kilometers, passing through many cities in Anatolia.

Arriving at their destination in Istanbul after eighteen days, the group led by Mukaram Tareen Khan said they started their journey from Lahore on October eleven and then went to Iran and later to Turkiye.

Mukaram Tareen said Pakistan, Iran and Turkiye are friendly Islamic countries and our culture, food and friendships are based on hundreds of years of history. Istanbul is a deep-rooted city like Lahore, so we wanted to continue this journey to Istanbul.

He said reaching Istanbul symbolizes the strong friendship between Pakistan and Turkiye. He added this also provides an opportunity to establish a closer bond with our Turkish friends.

Earlier, Pakistan Embassy in Ankara also hosted a ceremony in Ankara in the honour of the motorcyclists.

While welcoming the motorcyclists, Ambassador of Pakistan to Turkiye Dr. Yousaf Junaid said the remarkable expedition not only illustrated the spirit of adventure, but also served as a testament to the enduring bonds of brotherhood and friendship between the two countries.

The Ambassador also highlighted Pakistan and Turkiye enjoy exemplary fraternal relations, with strong foundation in history, religion and shared linguistic and cultural values.

He emphasized that such initiatives would contribute significantly in further promoting people-to-people connections and mutual understanding, especially among the younger generations.

While sharing their experiences of the journey, the group leader Mukaram Tareen thanked the Ambassador and the governments of both Pakistan and Turkiye for facilitating the expedition.