PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, appreciating the remarkable progress in Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations in recent years, reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening existing institutional mechanisms to deepen and broaden bilateral cooperation across various sectors. The Premier, in a meeting with newly-appointed Saudi Ambassador Dr Rajeh Tami Albugamy, who called on him, reaffirmed that Pakistan stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. He underlined that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had always stood by each other and that the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement and the Makkah Joint Defence Alliance marked historic milestones in their longstanding fraternal relations and reflected their shared commitment to regional peace and security.
The Prime Minister has represented feelings and aspirations of people of Pakistan, who want complete solidarity with the Kingdom without ifs and buts at a time when the brotherly country is facing one of the gravest threats to its security. Saudi Arabia firmly believes in peaceful co-existence and has all along been carrying out major humanitarian operations in regions of the globe hit by natural disasters and crisis zones. The country is also implementing an ambitious 2030 vision of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aimed at modernization and economic diversification. In this backdrop, it is regrettable that conspiracies are being hatched to scuttle its march on the road to progress and prosperity as is evident from extreme provocations designed to drag it into a complicated regional situation. The Houthi proxies are being used to inflict economic and financial harm on the Kingdom through attacks on oil installations and terrorize its people by targeting civilians as well as the sacred places, which is a red line for all Muslims all over the world in general and people of Pakistan in particular. No doubt, it is a tricky situation for Pakistan because of regional intricacies and implications but the country has wasted no time in deciding in categorical terms that it will fulfill its obligations and responsibilities under relevant accords with the Kingdom. Defence and security of an important ally and sacred lands is a cause worth pursuing.