Shehbaz reaffirms commitment to promote Ummah’s interests
Spokesman Report
RIYADH/ MAKKAH MUKARMA: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman Saturday discussed to further strengthen the bilateral economic, investment and trade ties. During a meeting at the Royal Palace, they also discussed issues of mutual interest, global and regional issues. On the occasion, the prime minister was accompanied by the members of his delegation including federal ministers.
The prime minister also discussed creation of further job opportunities for the Pakistani manpower.
Earlier, upon his arrival at the Palace, the prime minister was warmly welcomed by the crown prince. He was given a guard of honour. The prime minister is undertaking his three days official visit to Saudi Arabia on the invitation of the Saudi crown prince.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has termed his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud as great. In a tweet on Saturday night, he said during the meeting, both the sides reaffirmed their commitment to taking Pakistan-Saudi ties to a new and higher level. The Prime Minister admired the visionary leadership of the Saudi Crown Prince and thanked him for according a warm welcome to Pakistani delegation and always standing with Pakistan. Shehbaz Sharif said we also discussed ways and means to further strengthen Pak-Saudi bilateral relationship in all areas.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Saturday affirmed his government’s commitment to promoting the interests of Muslim Ummah as a corner-stone of Pakistan’s foreign policy. The prime minister was talking to OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha, who called on him. The prime minister thanked the Secretary General for OIC’s consistent and unequivocal support to the Kashmir cause. He urged the Organization to lead the diplomatic endeavors towards facilitating a peaceful and lasting solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
The prime minister maintained that Pakistan, as the current Chair of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, was looking forward to playing a proactive role with regard to the matters of interest and concern to the OIC Member States. Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif invited the OIC to launch a concerted effort to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque and other occupied Palestinian territories. He stressed that Israel must not be allowed to divide the blessed Mosque, temporally and spatially, between the peoples of different faith. The prime minister underscored the need for provision of urgent humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and emphasized that the OIC should step up its efforts to counter growing Islamophobia at the international level.
The prime minister invited the secretary general to pay a visit to Pakistan which was accepted.
The secretary general reaffirmed the OIC’s support for a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. He expressed resolve to work closely with Pakistan on key issues of concern to the Muslim Ummah, especially Palestine, Afghanistan and Islamophobia. The secretary general reiterated his felicitations to the prime minister on his recent election and assumption of office. He also highlighted the important role that Pakistan has always played in the OIC as a founding member.
During the meeting, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, ministers Miftah Ismail, Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Mohsin Dawar and Maulana Tahir Ashrafi also accompanied the prime minister.