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Thursday, November 14, 2024  
11 Jumada Al-Awwal 1446  

Pakistan to expel Turkish staff from schools

Photo: FILE Photo: FILE

Pakistan has ordered Turkish teachers at schools with alleged links to a Turkish cleric opposed to President Tayyip Erdogan to leave the country, as it prepared to host the Turkish leader on Wednesday.

The teachers and their families, totaling about 450 people, were given three days notice to leave, PakTurk International Schools and Colleges said in a statement late on Tuesday.

Erdogan has accused Gulen, a former political ally, of being behind a coup attempt in July, and Turkey has previously asked Pakistan to shutdown any groups in the country that have links to the cleric.

"PakTurk International Schools and Colleges are deeply concerned over the abrupt decision of the government requiring the Turkish teachers, management and their family members...to leave the country within three days," the school said.

Turkey and Pakistan have traditionally had close ties, which have warmed further under the leadership of Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

PakTurk said the schools would continue operating across Pakistan and told students and their family members that it was opposed to "ingress of some other organization into the teachers and staff of the schools". -Reuters