Pakistan rejects baseless reports regarding world expo 2020

Pakistan Foreign Office on Monday clarified that in the case of World Expo 2020, it was committed to vote for Turkey which requested for Pakistan's support in May 2011, said an official press release. Foreign Office spokesperson, Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry rejected the allegations contained in a recent editorial in the Gulf News as baseless and malicious on the issue of voting for Expo 2020. He further said that UAE entered the race much later and this fact was explained to the UAE leadership and it was also conveyed that if Turkey were to withdraw its candidature, Pakistan would not only support the UAE but also lobby for it. Consequently, when Turkey withdrew its candidature, Pakistan voted in favor of the UAE in the subsequent rounds of voting. The Gulf newspaper carried a story against Pakistan and harshly criticized Pakistan for voting in favor of Turkey and didn't forget to mention Dubai's support for Islamabad in trade and other fields. The spokesperson further said that Pakistan's supportive efforts have been acknowledged by the UAE leadership, which has conveyed its appreciation at the highest level. The spokesperson said that Pakistan and UAE enjoy long-standing, deep rooted and brotherly relations and Pakistan has always stood by its friends and would continue to do so. He hoped responsible newspapers are expected to ensure greater accuracy in their reporting, said the press release.