ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday thanked Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a successful Hajj operation, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Over 83,000 Pakistani pilgrims performed Hajj this year when the kingdom lifted coronavirus restrictions after two years to allow up to one million Muslims— both from within the kingdom and abroad— to perform Hajj.

Pilgrims had to be under 65 years of age and vaccinated against coronavirus.

During his telephonic contact with the crown prince on Tuesday, Sharif extended Eid Al-Adha greetings to the Saudi leader.

“Prime Minister [Sharif] congratulated Crown Prince on the successful Hajj operation and thanked the leadership and government of Saudi Arabia for taking good care of the pilgrims, especially pilgrims from Pakistan,” the PMO statement read.

PM Sharif referred to the strong ties between the two countries and the foundation of the bilateral relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which he said was growing stronger with time.

“Prime Minister discussed bilateral initiatives and plans with the Saudi Crown Prince and agreed to strengthen cooperation in various fields, especially trade and investment,” the statement said.

“The two leaders agreed to work closely together to implement the decisions made during the Prime Minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia in April 2022,” it added.

Sharif visited the kingdom in April at the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the crown prince. During his visit to the kingdom, the leadership of the two countries discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in diverse sectors.

Islamabad and Riyadh agreed to explore options to further enhance the financing of petroleum products and support the economic and structural reforms for the benefit of Pakistan and its people.