$6 billion Saudi package: There''re no strings attached, Qureshi tells Senate

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday informed the Senate that $6 billion Saudi package has nothing to do with the Yemen conflict, as Pakistan had cleared its position in 2014 that it would stay out of the conflict.
Speaking in the Senate during debate on the recent visits of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Saudi Arabia and China, and the recent political situation arising out of an apex court verdict in the Aasia Bibi case, Qureshi reiterated that Saudi Arabia has not placed Pakistan under any condition in return for the $6 billion bailout package.
Qureshi said that Iranian Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif, during his recent visit to Islamabad, said that his country has no objection over Pakistan''s role of a mediator in the Arab world conflict, adding there has also been a slight shift in Saudi stance and mediation is possible if the engagement continues.
He said that China is ready to play its role in trilateral engagement to be held in Kabul in December to resolve the Afghan crisis in which Pakistan, China and Afghanistan would sit together for finding a solution to the crisis.
The foreign minister assured the House that the visits of the Prime Minister would take the relations with the brotherly countries to new heights. He said that relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia remained strained in the past, adding the ''issue'' was addressed and both the countries have been reengaged.
Qureshi said that the government struck a 12-month deal for a balance of payment during PM Khan''s visit to Saudi Arabia, adding Saudi Arabia will deposit $3 billion with Pakistan''s central bank and provide a matching one-year deferred payment facility for oil imports.
"We have received an unconditional package from Saudi Arabia. There is no condition attached to the Saudi package to Pakistan, and let me make it clear again that there is no such commitment like sending troops to Yemen," he added.
He continued that Prime Minister Khan had only offered to play the role of a mediator to resolve the Yemen conflict and his initiative has been welcomed by all the parties to the conflict. He recalled that the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had also tried to arbitrate in the Yemen dispute but he remained unsuccessful.
"If we had done this some years down the road, the tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia would have been decreased to a great extent. So mediation is possible as Saudi Arabia is a brotherly country while Iran is a neighbour with which we have a border where we want peace," he added.
He lauded the decision taken by the parliament of not sending troops to Saudi Arabia in 2015, saying it took a stand, which proved correct. He said that it was that stance through which Pakistan wanted to stay neural due to which both the countries give importance to Pakistan''s views.
When Prime Minister Imran Khan, proposed to resolve the Afghan crisis through talks, he was dubbed as "Taliban Khan'', but now Americans are pleading to help them out in making reconciliation process with the Taliban successful, he added.
About the visit of PM to China, Qureshi said that it was the most successful visit ever. "I want to take this House into confidence that we''d a very, very fruitful meeting with top Chinese leadership which included President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Li Keqiang, Chairman of National People''s Congress Li Zhanshu and China''s Vice President Wang Qishan," he added.
"Since China is the second economic giant of the world, Pakistan wants to tell the world especially India and the West that we have further strengthened our economic ties with China. Our export to China could be doubled within a year if we pay a little attention," he said.
Earlier, taking part in the debate former Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani said that ''elite state'' of Pakistan has been playing on the concept of religious nationalism to protect the status quo, which resulted in depriving the ordinary citizens of their rights. "The fundamental rights of citizens under the Constitution have been "privatised" due to which they have to hire security for their protection, a generator for electricity, private schools for their children education and buy drinking water from water tankers, and all such things ultimately give birth to defying the state," he said.
As a consequence, he continued, the people become isolated and isolation and anger made innocent children vulnerable to extremism and gave rise to warlords. In such a situation, he said, the state has to change its role and shun investment in ''elite class'' and instead announce a 20-year investment plan for the poor.
"A truth and reconciliation commission should be formed where people who have done wrong can be identified and the state can punish them," he maintained.
He said to ensure writ of the state, across the board implementation of law is a must, as in a country like Pakistan, "there are five types of laws - a law for the elite, a law for the poor, a law for rich, a law for the influential, etc".
Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum (retd) said that there would be no compromise on blasphemy, but the people having vested interest must not incite people against the military and judiciary without any proof.
He called upon the government to pay attention to debt retirement, budget deficit and depleting reserves in order to cope with the economic challenges confronting the country. He also took up the matter whether the government had committed sending troops to Yemen for Saudi Arabia against $6 billion bailout package.
He said that any attempt to send troops to Saudi Arabia would be disastrous for the country as the Parliament had already cleared its position on Saudi-Yemen conflict back in 2014, adding, "As a neighbour, we must stand by Iran in these testing times."
The senators belonging to religious political parties were unanimous on one point i.e. no punishment less than death to a blasphemer.
Senator Jahanzeb Jamaldini of BNNP-Mengal said that noose is being tightened around Iran, and in these circumstance, any attempt on the part of leadership to isolate Iran would be disastrous for the country particularly Balochistan - a province bordering Iran.