ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan after concluding his one-day visit to Saudi Arabia in the early hours of Tuesday, ARY News reported.
Accompanied by Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, and Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, the premier held meeting with Saudi King Shah Salman bin Abdul Aziz at the Jeddah Royal Palace to discuss the crisis engulfing the Middle East.
The Saudi king expressed his gratitude to the prime minister for paying visiting to the kingdom and reiterated his support in the fight against terrorism, saying, “War on terror was in the best interest of the Ummah.”
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif assured the Saudi monarch that the public and government of Pakistan were committed to protect Harmain Shareefain. He hoped that the Gulf crisis would soon be resolved in the best interest of the Ummah.
The tensions between Saudi Arabia and Qatar continue to escalate following the former and its allies severing ties with the Gulf state.
While commenting on the Gulf crisis, PM Nawaz Sharif had earlier said, “Pakistan will do all it can do to help resolve the crisis.”
The Foreign Office of Pakistan while expressing deep concern over severing of ties with Qatar by Saudi Arabia and its allies had reiterated that Pakistan will play its role to unite the Muslim states. “Pakistan believes in unity among Muslim states and has made serious efforts for its promotion,” said foreign office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt had earlier severed diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar, accusing it of supporting “extremism”. Qatar has vehemently denied the charges.
