By Our Diplomatic
Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office has rejected the report of a rift between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, saying that Islamabad and Riyadh enjoy unique relations, deep-rooted in religion, culture, and social ties, Radio Pakistan reported on Thursday.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan’s remarks and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia attest to the unchanged fraternal relations and close contact between the two countries,” Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said during his weekly press briefing.
Chaudhri added the two countries have strong economic, political, security and military cooperation at all levels.
Citing the example of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s 2019 visit to Islamabad and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Saudi Arabia, the spokesperson said the two visits cemented ties between the two allies and provided new opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment and other fields.
He added that Pakistan appreciates the Kingdom’s role in the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir. Responding to a question regarding the normalisation of relations between UAE and Israel, the spokesperson said there was no change in Pakistan’s position on the Palestine-Israel issue.
“Pakistan stands by the commitment realising the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination for a just, comprehensive and long-lasting peace,” he noted.
He continued: “Pakistan has consistently supported a two-state solution per UNSC and OIC resolutions as well as international law with pre-1967 borders and with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of Palestine.”
Speaking about recent developments and how Pakistan plans to tackle it, Chaudhri said Pakistan’s approach would be guided by “our evaluation of how Palestinians’ rights and aspirations are upheld and how regional, peace and security and stability are preserved.”
