ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were aligned in their stance on Kashmir and their ties remained strong and stable.
Qureshi’s remarks come just weeks after he sparked controversy with statements over the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) being lukewarm on Pakistan’s territorial dispute with archrival India over Kashmir.
“There is no difference in Saudi Arabian stance on Kashmir,” the foreign minister said at a press conference in Islamabad. “Pakistani and Saudi Arabian stance on Kashmir is completely in line with each other and there is not a slight difference in it.”
He said the OIC had passed numerous resolutions on the Kashmir issue.
“These resolutions are clear, unequivocal and in line with Pakistan’s position,” Qureshi said. “Recently during [the] COVID-19 [pandemic], there was a virtual conference of OIC in which Saudi foreign minister himself has participated and Saudi Arabia has completely endorsed the joint statement of the contact group [on Kashmir].”
“I am clearly saying this that there is no difference in Saudi Arabian stance on Kashmir,” Qureshi added. “OIC stand on Kashmir is before everyone; now we have to take steps to take forward this stance.”
He said Riyadh and Islamabad were discussing “different proposals” on how to take the Kashmir issue forward and Pakistan-Saudi relations remained strong and stable..
“The expectations of Pakistani people [from Saudi Arabia] are a result of these strong relations,” Qureshi said. “Pakistani people have certain expectations on Kashmir from their brothers in friendly countries and we will keep on expressing these expectations.”
