Pakistan will stand by Saudi Arabia in time of need – PM Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday assured King Salman bin Abdulaziz that his country would stand by Saudi Arabia if the sanctity and security of the holiest Muslim places in the Kingdom were in danger, said the PM Office.
The two leaders discussed the bilateral relations between their countries and focused on global and regional developments.
Khan also briefed the Saudi king about the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir after New Delhi revoked the limited constitutional autonomy of the disputed Himalayan region on August 5. In response, the king expressed solidarity with Pakistan over the Kashmir dispute.
Earlier in the day, the prime minister condemned the recent missile and drone strikes on Saudi oil facilities in Eastern Province during a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
He also addressed a distinguished group of Pakistani expatriates in Jeddah and told them that the bilateral relations between the two countries had reached a new level.
“Saudi Arabia has always rescued Pakistan in times of crisis,” he said.
Explaining the significance of his visit to the Kingdom, Khan said he wanted to apprise the Saudi leadership about the situation in Kashmir before going to the United Nations General Assembly.
“[Pakistan’s founding father] Quaid-e-Azam [Muhammad Ali Jinnah] had realized that Muslims would not get their rights in India. This fact has now been established by recent steps taken by [India’s Prime Minister Narendra] Modi,” he told his audience.
“We want to highlight the Kashmir dispute all over the world,” Khan continued. “Our Kashmiri brothers are passing through a difficult situation, though the dispute has also been internationalized and the world has come to believe in Pakistan’s narrative.”
Khan added that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation had favored Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and it was time to forcefully present the issue at the UN General Assembly.
The prime minister arrived in Saudi Arabia on a two-day official visit on Thursday. After concluding his visit to the Kingdom, he will continue his journey to New York where he will attend the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the PM Office added.
Governor Makkah Prince Khalid bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz received Khan at the Royal Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport. Pakistan’s envoy to Saudi Arabia, Raja Ali Ejaz, was also in attendance.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Adviser on Finance Hafeez Sheikh, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood, and PM’s special aide for overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari accompanied the premier.
Khan’s visit to Saudi Arabia is expected to further reinforce the close fraternal ties between the two countries and deepen bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.