ISLAMABAD: The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Pakistan denied the “information and fake news” broadcasted by some media channels, claiming that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia “pressurised and threatened Pakistan” to refrain from participating in the Kuala Lumpur Summit.
The embassy “affirms that the relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are superior to the language of threat”, the statement claimed, adding that the ties between the countries were “long-standing and strategic based on trust, understanding and mutual respect”.
“The two countries enjoy a consensus of views on most regional and international issues, especially the issues of the Islamic nation,” it added.
The embassy also “confirms that the Kingdom has always stood with Pakistan in difficult times based on fraternal relations, and we strive always to stand with Pakistan to be a successful and stable country”.
On Friday, a Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying that Saudi Arabia threatened Pakistan with extreme measures, which include the imposition of economic sanctions and deportation of its citizens working in the Kingdom, to stop it from attending the Kuala Lumpur Summit.
According to Erdogan, Saudi Arabia also threatened to withdraw $6 billion from Pakistan’s central bank and warned of further economic sanctions in case it became part of the event.
“Unfortunately, we see that Saudi Arabia pressures Pakistan. Now, there are promises that the country has given to Pakistan regarding the central bank. However, more than that, there are 4m Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia. They (threaten by saying that they) would send (Pakistanis) back and re-employ Bangladeshi people instead,” Erdogan was quoted as saying by Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah.
However, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said that Pakistan did not participate in the summit as time and efforts were needed to address the concerns of major Muslim countries regarding possible division in the Ummah.
“Pakistan will continue to work for the unity and solidarity of the Ummah, which is indispensable for effectively addressing the challenges faced by the Muslim world,” she said.
