Pakistan is stocking up for Ramzan. PHOTO: ONLINE
ISLAMABAD: In an unprecedented move, the government of Saudi Arabia gifted 200 tonnes of dates to Pakistan on Wednesday.
According to an official release, the deputy head of mission Saudi Arabia Embassy in Islamabad Jassim Mohammad Khalid Al-Khaldi formally handed over the consignment on behalf of the Kingdom to the Cabinet Division. Senior officials of the Foreign Office were also present at the time.
Director General ERC Captain Muhammad Aftab thanked Al-Khalidi on behalf of the government for the dates and expressed gratitude for the rather grand gesture of friendship.
Last month, it was revealed that the Kingdom had lent $1.5 bn to Pakistan to share up its reserves.
Previosuly, Pakistan had sought Riyadh’s help to shore up its foreign exchange reserves and meet debt-service obligations and undertake large energy and infrastructure projects, Pakistani officials told Reuters.
COMMENTS (65)
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If my calculations are correct, this is 8 million dates for a country of 180 million people. Do we spend the 1.5 billion dollars to buy dates for everyone? Just wondering.
We appriciate u Saudi Arabia, even Govt accept or deny we love you, a slap for hatter of pak Saudi relation. V lov them even if they need us for war against Asad and Iran, if they need our weapon, Iran is already in war with pakistan as an Indian companion. Ma Sha AllaH WE STILL HAVE SUCH FRIENDS..
Dates yummy! We can have a deal on that as sugar, we will buy it on half price rather then you distribute it free. Wahga is suitable for transportation, we can do it in kashmir side as well I can do any thing for that khajooraan... Sada yaq aethe rakh
Thank you Saudi Arabia you are our best friend. We will always remember you and we will always stand by you.
@amoghavarsha. When we get billions dollars in trade? Why hop for a "peanut" ? Oops! Free dates or nuts?
this is ridiculous, As Pakistan is demanding Nuclear parity from US, we Indians should demand free Dates from Saudis, Saudis should show parity.... Send free dates according to population, 200 tons for Pakistan, may be 600 to 800 tons to India, Indian business men are fleecing us with exotic dates and exhibition of dates too.
People, a little gratefulness please?
Any gift from any brotherly country is most welcome so long as there are no strings attached to it. Long Live Pakistan!
@waterbottle Don't be greedy. Half dozen pieces are enough for you.
Laughable at best. The below average less than popular Saudi princiling (there is no dearth of this kind of parasite in that land) spends more money in any given month watering the lawns around his sprawling desert palace than what an average Pakistani citizen spends in on living in his 60 or 70 years on this mother earth. And they send you their surplus stock of stale dates. All I can say is Pakistanis are pretty low on the totem pole of things as far as the Saudis are concerned. They are using you lands to dump stuff even their camels won't eat. So much for the much vaunted Paki-Saudi friendship and brotherly love. They would dare not to ship this garbage to a kafir nation like India.
This gift is to remind Pakistan of its date with destiny in Syria.
Hmmm! $1.5 bn that doesn't have to be returned? 200 tons of dates as a goodwill gesture? Is it a case of the sacrificial animal being fed before the slaughter? Anyone else would immediately go on alert at such largess. Not so sure about the Pakistani leadership though.
Send them all to Thar now
@Really?:
For 20 rupees you don't get half a dozen pieces.
@Sumaira Majeed: From you comment it sounds like we live in the west and don't have any of the problems that Africa has. You are so brainwashed by watching their news channels that you think their point of view, problems and issues are same as ours. Children are also dying in Pakistan out of Starvation and indicators are that the number is only going to increase. Let the rest of the world and the Africans worry about the children in Africa we should worry about our children who are dying or are suffering from malnutrition. The disconnect of the elite from the real problems that the poor in Pakistan (vast majority of the population) face is just amazing.
What their camels will eat now ?
Lots of dates past the expiry date.
Nawaz having a "DATE" with the Saudi Monarchy!!!!
How can I get my share of dates? i think it becomes around 1.08 grams..
hahahahahhahha what a joke :D
YAY! Let's flood Saudi dates into Pakistan, and thus ruining the date-farming based economies of Sindh and Balochistan!
In any other country, the monopoly control commission would have stopped this.
Who will take care of their servants better than saudis... Pakistan is blessed
Soon Pakistan will be receiving 1 MN tons of Saudi desert sand
Pakistan receivings alms from their master!
@ hailstorm. Only a "khajoor" can think like that!
@ss dates from Middle East have too soft outer texture, prefer indian ones ;)
@ water bottle Its 20 rupees a packet in india, surly if you can afford internet computer you can afford dates?
Pakistan receiving alms from arab sheikhs!
USD 1.5 Billion plus 200 tons of Dates seems me to be a very low price to hurt the sentiments of Shia Mohammadden citizens of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan by harming the clerical regime in Iran by killing off the gas pipeline deal, supporting Sunni rebels against the Assad regime in Syria and supporting the Sunni Al Khalifa regime to suppress her Shia subjects in Bahrain.
"it is time to fear when tyrant wants to kiss you"
If you people don't want them, can you send them across wagah. Saudi dates taste very good.
Can I get some of that?
Here in India it costs a fortune and poor people like me cannot afford to enjoy it.
Any gratuity from anybody is our brother.
Khajoor's are a perfect gift for us...We will soon become more Arab like if we eat more Khajoors
@Ahmed Ishtiaq: LOL so that means, we will need to export them 200 tons less of the dates now. But still receive the payment for them ;)
captivity of negativity. Pakistani nation find always some negative thing. Shame on u all
Lets see where this stunning affection of Saudis with Nawaz Sharif leads Pakistan to. We must not forget Saudis role in world's history.
@Sumaira Majeed:
Agree with your point on the bribe for mercenary services. Unfortunately Pak is no stranger to hunger after what was witnessed in Thar. We have indeed sunk that low. Sadly, the dates will not be used to satisfy their hunger either...
@ Saad, i wouldn't be surprised if they ate them all themselves.
Now the govt of Pakistan will deny receiving 200 Tonnes of dates from a friendly Muslim country.
KEEP CALM
ANDEAT DATES
Habibi, Anta miskeen Bakistani.
Khajoor from Huzoor !!!!!!!!