The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the joint session of the Parliament of Pakistan today. In his address he talked about the various committments his country and Pakistan are going to be making toward bilateral relations and working together and all of that. He criticized his enemies and praised his friends, basically the usual.
However, what most people were fixated with about this address was the absence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf from the Parliament.
The chairman of PTI, Imran Khan, had announced their boycott because they don’t respect the Prime Minister for being involved in corruption charges. There are people who appreciate Mr. Khan’s PTI for their consistent political stance but there are many who would rather see this attitude fade as one grows out of elementary school.
Here’s what people thought about PTI’s absence during President Erdogan’s address
People were particularly excited about how lavishly Lahore was decorated
Beautiful Lahore Decorated4the Warm Welcome Of #TurkishPresident #TayyipErdogan??
Pak Türk Dostluğu Sonsuza Dek
#جمہوریت_کی_شان_نواز_اردوان pic.twitter.com/xyY7cwZ69y— Aniha AnaM Chaudhary (@anihachaudhary) November 17, 2016
Lahore is looking so beautiful rn??❤️#TayyipErdogan
— LAYNAD (@BaeBuss) November 17, 2016
Pak turk zindabad #shukriyapakistan #TayyipErdogan pic.twitter.com/j1hl40655J
— Asim Mughal ® (@AsimMughal900) November 17, 2016
While others were more interested in easy access to visit the land of Ishq-e-Mamnoo
Brother … brother .. brother #TayyipErdogan.. can this brother allow Pakis a visa free entry ? No? To hell with such brother to me
— Hasan Ali (@hasanali110) November 17, 2016
Some people were trying to read too hard into the goings on at the joint session in the Parliament
Most of lawmakers in joint sitting kept shaking hands with Raheel Sharif b4 start of proceedings.#TayyipErdogan#جمہوریت_کی_شان_نواز_اردوان
— faizanafzal (@Faizan_Afzal1) November 17, 2016
While others were playing armchair analysts about the PTI boycott of President Erdogan’s address
Pti sucks at every political move.
they should hv attended his adress n then walkout in protest against #pmln #TayyipErdogan— Abdullah (@21Minhas) November 17, 2016
#TayyipErdogan said "we are here to eradicate the Evil."
You see IK did not attend the addres. ??— ناقابلِ برداشت ! (@kmansoor341) November 17, 2016
This guy even got a word from the Turkist embassy somehow
Turkish embassy confirms President #TayyipErdogan has refused to meet @ImranKhanPTI stating tht all #Pakistan was represented in parliament
— Nauman Zafar (@naumanzafar123) November 17, 2016
And this one’s wisecrack left some of us in splits
Turk Se Pakistan Tak Motorway Banega #TayyipErdogan
— Adnan jamali (@Adnan_Jamalie) November 17, 2016
Many were irked by the traffic jams in Lahore
#Lahore right now coz of #TayyipErdogan @CMShehbaz pic.twitter.com/TeySgc5Vdt
— Umair Shamim (@UmairShamim) November 17, 2016
Dear #TayyipErdogan masses are suffering because of you . pic.twitter.com/Ofx0laOr1z
— . (@AwaisNiaziISF) November 17, 2016
Fuck off you blocked mall Road. I got late for my test #TayyipErdogan
— Ammara Satti (@Windrunner91) November 17, 2016
But amidst all this political back and forth, this one guy had his priorities set
Fatima gull ka number de do chachaa 🙁 #TayyipErdogan
— Stalker (@JaqenH_ghaar) November 17, 2016
Cover image via: Pakistan Press Information Department