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By Waqar Naseem Wamiq
A SENIOR Pakistani official has stated that his country and Saudi Arabia are working together on several key fronts, including national development and the fight against terrorism.
Syed Tariq Fatemi, special assistant on foreign affairs to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was speaking at a press conference at the Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh on Wednesday. Charge D’Affaires Hassan Wazir was also present.
Fatemi said, “Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have long standing, strong and brotherly bond of relationship. Our bilateral relations are at its best. We are working together to counter terrorism and on several development projects.”
Fatemi said Riyadh was taking interest in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and Islamabad welcomed the initiatives of Saudi Vision 2030.
Talking about Pakistan-India relations Fatemi said, “We want good relations with India on the basis of equality and mutual respect. Kashmir is the basic point of conflict between the two countries. India has committed the worst of human rights violations in the territory. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has raised the Kashmir issue at the United Nations and several other international forums. This issue must be resolved peacefully at its earliest according to UN resolutions.”
Responding to a question about regional ties, Fatemi said, “Pakistan is a peaceful country and wants good ties with all its neighbors. Afghanistan is our brotherly Islamic neighbor but unfortunately its territories are being used by our enemies. Our utmost effort is to counter terrorism jointly with Afghanistan. The entire world has praised the Zarb-e-Azb operation where our gallant armed forces and people made exemplary sacrifices of their lives. They set an unprecedented example of heroism and bravery in the fight against militancy and terrorism.”
Fatemi was very upbeat about his country’s development.
“Pakistan is on the path of progress; several key projects are going on and the CPEC will be completed in the next two years. The world is taking keen interest in the CPEC. Many international companies are looking at Pakistan for investment,” he said.
Fatemi said the issue of power shortage and load shedding would be fully resolved by 2018. “In the meantime, 10,000 megawatts of electricity will be added to the national power grid and this number will go up to 20,000 megawatts by 2022. The Pakistani government is utilizing all its resources in the energy and power sector, which includes thermal power, wind, solar energy, coal and gas; it’s a great sign of a more prosperous Pakistan,” he added.
Fatemi met with Minister of Labor and Social Development Ali Al-Ghafis on Wednesday and discussed issues pertaining to Pakistani workers in the Kingdom.
He will meet other senior Saudi officials during his tour and deliver a keynote speech at the diplomatic academy in Riyadh. He will also perform Umrah during his ongoing visit to Saudi Arabia.
Fatemi was received by Charge D’Affaires Hassan Wazir and senior embassy officials upon his arrival in the Saudi capital. — SG
