Says kingdom respects Pakistani parliament’s resolution. PHOTO: RADIO PAKISTAN
“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have friendly relations and I am sure Pakistan will always side with Saudi Arabia,” said Saudi Minister for Religious Affairs Saleh bin Abdul Aziz after meeting with his Pakistan counterpart, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf. During the meeting the two ministers discussed the mutual relations of the two countries.
Later talking to the media, Aziz said every free country is independent in its internal matters and Saudi Arabia respects Pakistan parliament’s resolution. Sardar Yousaf also reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to defend the holy land and said: “Pakistan will always stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Saudi Arabia in its hour of need.”
The Saudi minister also met Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith head Professor Sajid Mir and Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to discuss Pak-Saudi relations and the Yemen conflict.
The Saudi minister described his meeting with Maulana Fazlur Rahman as ‘positive and constructive’.
The JUI-F spokesperson Jan Achakzai quoted Aziz as saying that the kingdom is fully satisfied with the response of the government and people of Pakistan, who have vowed to stand shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia in the trying hours. “We are thankful for the support of Pakistani people,” Aziz told Fazl, according to Achakzai. Fazl told the Saudi minister that Pakistan will defend the kingdom with all its resources if there is a danger to its security.
“Houthis are rebels and their action to topple the legitimate government of Yemen cannot be justified,” said Maulana, adding that Pakistani nation will remember all the help Saudi Arabia has extended to them in the past.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th, 2015.
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