Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani on Saturday said that any violation of the agreement made by Mian Nawaz Sharif with the Saudi Arabian authorities would bring into question the credibility of all Pakistani citizens.
"Any violation of the agreement made by the Sharif family with the Saudi authorities would badly affect the image of entire Pakistani nation abroad and any country or individual would be reluctant to enter into agreement with Pakistani citizens," he told a news conference.
"I also fear that the Saudi Arabian authorities may take any agreement by Pakistani citizens visiting Saudi Arabia in the atmosphere created by the breach of accord by Nawaz Sharif," he said. He said the insistence by Mian Nawaz Sharif on not complying with the accord they had made with the most revered and friendly country puts a question mark on the entire nation. This would also be a question mark on the state guarantees given to Pakistan by Saudi Arabia, he added.
"The arrival of the special envoy of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz, and Lebanon's most influential politician and son of former Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad Hariri to Pakistan and their interactions with media and other entities have quashed the uncertainties about the agreement between the Saudi government and Sharif family," said the Minister.
"Yes, this is not a legal issue. Rather it is a moral obligation as this was an out-of-court settlement. According to the diplomatic norms, even verbal pledges are of prime importance rather than violating the written agreements," remarked the minister.
He told the media that the special emissaries had conveyed the message of Khadim-e-Harmain Sharifain King Abdullah to Mian Nawaz Sharif who is defiant and not ready to comply with the agreement he had made with the Saudi Arabian government in the year 2000.
"The Arab world has a tribal background and they strongly abide by their verbal obligations and what to talk of the written accords. They cannot even think of breaching their commitment," said the minister, adding that each year millions of Pakistani pilgrims visit Saudi Arabia to perform their religious rituals while millions serve in the brotherly country. "The violation of Nawaz Sharif would jeopardise the credibility of Pakistani diaspora living in other states across the world," said the minister.