Islamabad:The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) for the implementation of the “Establishment of a Centralized Kitchen in Rawalpindi Project” aimed at strengthening social infrastructure serving vulnerable communities in Pakistan.
The MoU was signed by Senator Shaheen Khalid Butt, Managing Director of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, and Saliha Tuna, Country Head of TIKA Pakistan, in the presence of Dr. Irfan Neziroglu, Ambassador of the Republic of Trkiye to Pakistan.
Under the project, TIKA will establish a fully equipped, semi-automated centralized kitchen in the Rawalpindi-Islamabad region with the capacity to prepare up to 15,000 meals per day in accordance with international food hygiene standards. Upon completion, the facility will be handed over to Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal in operational condition and managed sustainably by the institution to provide regular hot meals for orphaned children, low-income families, patient attendants, residents of temporary shelter homes, workers, and other vulnerable groups.
Beyond expanding food assistance services, the project is expected to strengthen Pakistan’s social welfare infrastructure by enhancing its capacity to provide sustainable, hygienic, and uninterrupted meal services. It also aims to improve food security and institutional capacity for delivering assistance to those most in need.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Senator Shaheen Khalid Butt, Managing Director of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, described the project as another milestone in the longstanding partnership between PBM and TIKA. He noted that Trkiye’s development cooperation projects across Pakistan stand as tangible examples of the strong brotherly ties between the two countries. Emphasizing that the centralized kitchen will serve up to 15,000 people daily, he thanked the Government and people of Trkiye for their continued support and expressed his hope for further cooperation in the future.
Addressing the ceremony, Dr. Irfan Neziroglu, Ambassador of the Republic of Trkiye to Pakistan, underlined that the relationship between Trkiye and Pakistan is built on a unique bond of brotherhood that goes far beyond diplomatic relations. He noted that TIKA has successfully implemented hundreds of development projects across Pakistan over the past sixteen years and reaffirmed Trkiye’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s development and further strengthening cooperation between the two countries.