ISLAMABAD, March 22: Prime Minister Imran Khan has underscored the special significance of Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relationship and called for further cementing them in different fields.
The prime minister said this during a meeting with Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud who called on him on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 48th session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers.
The prime minister said that the Pakistan-Saudi relationship is based on close fraternal ties, historic links, and support at the grassroots level. He conveyed cordial greetings for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The prime minister commended the leadership role of the Kingdom to advance the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation into a vital platform for Islamic world’s causes. He stressed for enhanced cooperation to address challenges confronting the Muslim Ummah, especially collective action by OIC member states for dealing with Islamophobia.
Views were exchanged on regional and international issues including the situation in Afghanistan and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The prime minister also thanked the Saudi foreign minister for the Kingdom’s steadfast support to the just cause of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Saudi foreign minister congratulated the prime minister on the successful holding of the 48th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad.
Separately, Prime Minister Khan has reiterated Pakistan’s unequivocal support for the rights of the Palestinian people and their just struggle.
He was talking to Foreign Minister of Palestine Dr Riyad al-Maliki on the sidelines of the 48th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers.
Emphasising the importance of fulfilling the aspirations of the Palestinian people, Khan said the unresolved issues of Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir are among the root causes of instability in the respective regions. He added that the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir are undergoing unabated repression for demanding their inalienable right to self-determination.
On the occasion, the Palestinian foreign minister expressed his gratitude for Pakistan’s unwavering support and principled position on Palestine.
During the meeting, views were exchanged on excellent bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Palestine as well as the collaboration at regional and international fora including the OIC.
Earlier, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to further strengthen their cooperation on regional and international matters, and keep close collaboration at multilateral fora, including the OIC and the United Nations.
An understanding to this effect came during a meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 48th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers.
The two foreign ministers exchanged views on bilateral cooperation and regional and global issues. Both the foreign ministers reviewed the OIC’s importance as a vital platform for the Islamic Ummah and its role in the advancement of common causes of the Muslim World. – NNI