PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has vowed not to remain a bystander if any attempt is made to destabilise Saudi Arabia, warning that any aggression against the Kingdom’s territorial integrity would evoke a strong response from the country.
The official statement was issued by the Foreign Office on Friday after talks were held between Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz in Riydah.
The prime minister travelled to the kingdom on Thursday with a high-powered delegation comprising army chief General Raheel Sharif and other senior officials as part of the damage control exercise following the parliamentary resolution that caused an unusual hiccup in the relationship with the Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia.
In a detailed statement, the Foreign Office said Pakistan expressed to the Saudi leadership its deep concern at the escalating threats to regional peace and stability in the Middle East and highlighted the need to ensure that the region is shielded from terrorist groups and other non-state actors.
“It was underscored that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was a policy imperative for Pakistan. Pakistan cannot remain a bystander if any attempt is made to destabilise the Kingdom. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reiterated that any aggression against the Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity will evoke a strong response from Pakistan,” the statement added.
Pakistan expressed its willingness to play a positive role in promoting a peaceful resolution of the ongoing political crisis in Yemen and render its support for implementation of UN Resolution 2216.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 25th, 2015.
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