ISLAMABAD: King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday sent felicitation messages to President Arif Alvi on the 75th Independence Day of the South Asian nation.
According to the kingdom’s official news agency, the Saudi royals wished the president good health and happiness while hoping for steady progress and prosperity for the people of Pakistan.
The two Muslim countries have always cherished close diplomatic relations and are collaborating with each other in a number of areas.
Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Saudi crown prince signed an important agreement last May to establish the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council to streamline the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Prior to that, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed on a number of investment deals during the crown prince’s visit to Islamabad in February 2019.
The kingdom is home to more than two million Pakistanis and has been the top source of workers’ remittances to the South Asian nation.
The Pakistani workers based in Saudi Arabia remitted $7.6 billion to their homeland in the last fiscal year alone.
Among other areas of cooperation, the two countries are working with each other on environmental issues.
Saudi king, crown prince send felicitation messages to Pakistan on Independence Day
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Saudi king, crown prince send felicitation messages to Pakistan on Independence Day
- The two Saudi royals wished President Arif Alvi good health and happiness while hoping for steady progress and prosperity for the people of Pakistan
- Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have always enjoyed close diplomatic relations and are collaborating with each other in a number of areas
Daesh media chief for ISKP in Pakistan’s custody — state media
- Sultan Aziz Azzam, a senior member of ISKP, used to head its Al Azzam media outlet, says state media
- Azzam was arrested in May while attempting to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan, says state media
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have taken into custody Sultan Aziz Azzam, the head of Daesh regional affiliate ISKP’s media outlet, state media reported on Thursday citing intelligence sources.
The state-run Pakistan TV Digital reported that Azzam was a senior member of ISKP and hailed from Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. As per the state media report, he is also a graduate of the University of Nangarhar where he studied Islamic jurisprudence.
Pakistan TV Digital reported Azzam joined ISKP in 2016 and later became a prominent member of its leadership council.
“He was arrested in May 2025 while attempting to cross from Afghanistan into Pakistan,” Pakistan TV Digital reported, citing intelligence sources.
“He is believed to have overseen media operations and headed ISKP’s Al Azzam media outlet.”
In November 2021, Washington listed Azzam as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” (SDGT). The move bars American citizens from engaging in transactions with persons designated as SDGTs.
According to a report on the UN Security Council’s website, Azzam has played an “instrumental role” in spreading Daesh’s violent ideology, glorifying and justifying “terrorist acts.”
“Building on his former experience as an Afghan journalist, his activity as ISIL-K’s spokesperson has increased ISIL-K’s visibility and influence among its followers,” the report states.
The report further states Azzam claimed responsibility on behalf of Daesh for the suicide attack near Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26, 2021, which killed at least 170 Afghans and 13 US service members and injured 150 more.
The development takes place amid tense relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Islamabad alleging militants use Afghan soil to carry out attacks against Pakistan. Kabul denies the allegations.
Tensions surged in October when Pakistan and Afghanistan engaged in fierce border clashes, claiming to have killed dozens of soldiers of the other side.
Pakistan has urged the Afghan Taliban-led government to take “decisive action” against militants it says operate from its soil. Afghanistan says it cannot be held responsible for Pakistan’s security challenges.
