With one accord: Nawaz urges Ummah unity against terrorism

Says Pakistan has largely succeeded in curbing the menace

MADINA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday called for an accord among the Muslim countries to eliminate the menace of terrorism affecting world peace.

“With a financial cost of around $120 billion and [loss of] thousands of precious human lives, Pakistan has suffered a lot due to this scourge,” the prime minister said in an informal interaction with the media accompanying him on his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia.

He said as the Western world was uniting against terrorism, the Muslim world should also be on the same page to tackle the threat.

Sharif, who was in the kingdom to attend the first-ever Arab Islamic American Summit on terrorism at the invitation of King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, said: “Owing to its war against terrorism, Pakistan has curbed the menace to a large extent,” adding, “Afghanistan should also wage a war against terrorism.”

Responding to a question about his interaction with US President Donald Trump during the summit, the prime minister said: “It was a good meeting.”



On Sunday, Prime Minister Sharif had a brief meeting with President Trump on the sidelines of the Arab Islamic American Summit, according to a media report.

During the brief meeting, Trump said he was very pleased to meet Sharif to which the premier responded that the feeling was mutual.

The US president shook hands with the PM and the exchange of pleasantries took place between the two leaders before the Arab Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh, said the report.

During the summit, the prime minister added, he had an interaction with some other leaders as well.



Meanwhile, the prime minister offered Asr prayer at Masjid-e-Nabvi. He prayed for peace in the Muslim world as well as prosperity and development of Pakistan.

Earlier, the prime minister left the Saudi capital for Madina. He was accompanied by Sartaj Aziz and Lt-Gen Nasser Janjua, his advisers respectively on foreign affairs and national security. The prime minister will leave for home on Tuesday.

[/fbvideo]