Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday promised strict action against those “trying to sabotage” the relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

He made these remarks while addressing an inauguration ceremony for the restoration of the Kachhi Canal in Islamabad.

PM Shehbaz said Saudi Arabia has unconditionally and fully helped Pakistan through various points in history without asking for anything in return.

“A statement came out yesterday, which I think there can be no greater enmity against Pakistan than this that you spew venom against the country that has never demanded anything in return and always opened its doors for Pakistan,” he said in an apparent reference to Bushra Bibi’s remarks.

“I want to announce as the prime minister that any hand that becomes an obstacle in the friendship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the nation will break those hands,” he added.

IK denies reports of Bushra’s joining politics

He lamented that for short-term gains, seeds of hatred are being sown. “What political interest is this that is sacrificing Pakistan’s highest interest?”

The premier said no one would be allowed to play with the country’s interests when it came to brotherly allies such as Saudi Arabia.

He said those “spreading such poison in society” had no idea of its consequences and negative effects.

Maryam condemns ‘anti-Saudi Arabia’ remarks

Addressing the ceremony, Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz said the government was working tirelessly to rebuild the economy, but “some political factions” were trying to sabotage relations with friendly countries.

“Yesterday, I came across a video which I initially thought was dubbed. However, I was informed that it was not. In the video, an apolitical housewife spews venom against our brotherly country in an attempt to sabotage Pakistan’s relationship with a country that has helped Pakistan through thick and thin,” she said, apparently referring to Bushra Bibi’s statement.

Maryam said “the lady in question” was fully aware of the consequences of her controversial statement and the damage it would cause to Pakistan’s bilateral relations.

Bushra Bibi’s remarks blown out of proportion: PTI

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) denounced what it called negative characterisation of Bushra Bibi’s remarks by the government.

Taking to X, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said the party views Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations with great respect and dignity and wanted to further expand on the “brotherly and friendly” relation.

“Bushra Bibi, in her message, neither directly nor indirectly named or referred to the leadership or government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, nor is there any possibility of such reference.

“Instead, she pointed towards individuals, led by General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who were actively working internally and externally against a democratically elected government. These individuals paved the way for the regime change plan by creating a conducive environment both locally and globally, using state resources,” Akram said.

There has been no ‘deal’ at all, claims PTI founder

PTI spokesperson said that the party strongly condemned the attempt by the “mandate-thief government, which is afraid of nationwide protests, to use the brotherly Islamic country as a source of baseless rumours in view of nefarious political goals”.

“They want to distort a specific part of the video message of Bushra Bibi and to create a narrative on the media and social media based on that using state resources to support their declining reputation and government by putting Pakistan’s diplomatic interests at stake.”

He said the campaign against Bushra was “nothing new”, alleging that not only had the government been previously making her a target of accusations but it had also “woven a web of false cases against her, out of which her innocence has been proven in court in all major cases”.

Later, a post from Imran Khan’s official X handle said Bushra Bibi’s statement was “deliberately taken out of context” to draw brotherly country Saudi Arabia “into a needless controversy”.

“She didn’t mention Saudi Arabia at all,” it added.

“I [Imran Khan] have excellent relations with Saudi Arabia. When I was attacked in Wazirabad, one of the first calls I received was, through the embassy, from HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia has always stood by us in difficult times,” the post read.

“My government was toppled through conspiracies, all orchestrated by General Bajwa. I tried to have these investigated through the Chief Justice and General Tariq Khan, but General Bajwa did not allow that to happen.

“Bushra Bibi has no connection with politics; she only conveyed my message to the nation, as my wife, regarding the November 24th protest.

“The nation should focus on the November 24th protest. God willing, you will emerge victorious,” Khan said in the statement issued on X.