Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Monday said that both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were determined to promote true Islam, which is harbinger of peace, understanding, tolerance and does not tolerate extremism in any form.
Talking to newsmen on his way back to Pakistan after a four-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister said Pak-Saudi relations are solidly based on eternal values of Islam. "These will endure and prosper in days ahead," he said. He termed his meeting with King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz as "very significant" and said he was returning back fully satisfied.
He said King Fahd has special regard and appreciation for Pakistan and its services for the unity of Muslim Ummah.
Shujaat said King Fahd appreciated the leadership of President General Pervez Musharraf and his efforts for greater unity in the Islamic Ummah. He also noted the initiative and the idea of enlightened moderation floated to bring about peace and stability. Prime Minister said the King prayed for Pakistan's prosperity and sovereignty and expressed the hope that "these ties will grow further in the days ahead as the two countries are linked with common bonds of religion and brotherhood."
The Prime Minister recalled the slogan of Pakistan Zindabad raised by Crown Prince Abdullah during his visit to Pakistan. The Crown Prince, Shujaat said, had special place for the people of Pakistan in his heart. In spite of a couple of invitations from other countries, he opted to visit Pakistan.
He also termed his meeting with Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz as important and said they discussed greater interaction between the two brotherly countries in many fields.
When asked about the co-operation between the two countries in the war against terrorism, he said they discussed greater co-ordination and intelligence sharing. He said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, can work together to bring peace and stability in the region.
To a question he said the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan was also discussed and there was complete identity of views on regional and international issues.
He said Saudi Arabia was highly appreciative of Pakistan's role against terrorism under the leadership of President Musharraf. The two countries vowed that the fight against terrorism was a common cause for Muslim Ummah and its unity. The two countries, Shujaat said, were partners in the war against terrorism and vowed to continue efforts to eradicate the menace.
He said the peace process between Pakistan and India was also discussed and the Saudi government welcomed the ongoing dialogue process and the efforts by President General Pervez Musharraf for initiating the talks.
The Crown Prince said that war was not a solution and all issues could be resolved in a better way through a sustained negotiation process. Prime Minister said that he conveyed that India and Pakistan needed to take bold steps for peace in the region.
About his meeting with Interior Minister Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz, Shujaat said it covered many areas including discussion on the issue of Hujjaj. He said Pakistan has assured that it would do all to ensure that no Pakistani misuses the facility by getting an Umrah visa and performing Hajj.
Minister for Religious Affairs Ijaz-ul-Haq added that Pakistan assured Saudi Arabia that it would he issuing computerised passports to check the fraudulent use and to ensure greater transparency.
Prime Minister Shujaat said a meeting of the senior immigration officials would be convened soon to review the security concerns.
Comments
Comments are closed.